serfdom
/'sə:fidʤ/ Cách viết khác : (serfdom) /'sə:fdəm/ (serfhood) /'sə:fhud/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. The state or condition of being a serf: The social and legal status of a person bound to a lord's land and required to provide labor and services. 2. The feudal system based on serfdom: The economic and social system in which serfs form the laboring class.
Usage
"Serfdom" is an uncountable noun used to describe a historical social condition or system. It is typically used in historical, sociological, or political contexts. * It is often discussed in relation to feudalism, manorialism, emancipation, and abolition. * Common collocations include: abolish serfdom, live in serfdom, escape from serfdom, the institution of serfdom.
Examples
- The Russian Tsar Alexander II is known for abolishing serfdom in 1861.
- Peasants under serfdom were not slaves but were not free to leave their lord's estate.
- Historians study the economic effects of serfdom on medieval European society.
- The novel depicts the harsh realities of serfdom in the 17th century.
Advanced Usage
- "The yoke of serfdom": A metaphorical phrase describing serfdom as a heavy burden or oppressive control.
- The revolution aimed to free the people from the yoke of serfdom.
- "To reduce someone to serfdom": To force someone into a condition of servitude or extreme dependence.
- The conquering army reduced the local population to serfdom.
Variants and Related Words
- Serf (noun): The person in a state of serfdom; a laborer bound under the feudal system to work on his lord's estate.
- Serfhood (noun): A less common synonym for serfdom, meaning the condition of being a serf.
- Villeinage (noun): In English medieval history, a form of serfdom.
Synonyms
- Bondage: The state of being a slave or serf; lack of freedom.
- Servitude: The condition of being a slave or being completely subject to someone more powerful.
- Thralldom/Thraldom: (Archaic) The state of being in someone's power; slavery or bondage.
- Peonage: A system where debtors are bound in servitude to their creditors until debts are paid.
Antonyms
- Freedom: The power or right to act, speak, or think without hindrance.
- Liberty: The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions.
- Emancipation: The fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions.
- Autonomy: The right or condition of self-government; personal freedom.
Noun
- the state of a serf