serf
/'sə:f/
Definition
- Noun:
- A person in a feudal system legally bound to work on a specific lord's land: A serf is a laborer who is not free to leave the land they work on and is subject to the control of a feudal lord. This status was common in medieval Europe.
- A person in a condition of servitude or bondage: By extension, the term can describe someone who is oppressed or exploited, lacking personal freedom.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- In medieval Europe, a serf was tied to the manor and could not leave without the lord's permission.
- The life of a serf was one of hard labor in exchange for protection and the right to farm a small plot for themselves.
- (Figurative) He felt like a corporate serf, bound to his desk with no hope of advancement.
Advanced Usage
"To live like a serf": To live in conditions of great hardship and lack of freedom.
- After the economic collapse, many people were forced to live like serfs, working long hours for very little pay.
"Serfdom" (n): The state or condition of being a serf; the feudal system that utilized serfs.
- The abolition of serfdom was a major social change in Russian history.
Variants and Related Words
- Serfdom (n): The system or condition of being a serf.
- Serfhood (n): Synonym for serfdom; the state of being a serf.
- Villein (n): A type of serf in medieval England who had more rights and privileges than other serfs but was still bound to the land.
Synonyms
- Bondsman: A person who is bound by contract or law to serve another.
- Vassal: A holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance to a lord (note: a vassal was typically of higher status than a serf).
- Peon: (Especially in Latin America) an unskilled farm worker or laborer, often in a condition of debt bondage.
- Thrall: (Archaic) a slave, servant, or captive.
Antonyms
- Freeman: A person who is not a slave or serf; one enjoying personal and political liberty.
- Lord: A man of high rank in a feudal society, especially one who owned land and had serfs working it.
- Citizen: A legally recognized member of a state, entitled to its rights and protections.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "Born a serf, die a serf": An expression highlighting the lack of social mobility in feudal systems, where one's status was fixed for life.
- In that rigid society, it was a case of born a serf, die a serf; there was no escaping your fate.
Noun
-
(Middle Ages) a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord
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