n · academic
serfdom
UK/ˈsɜːfˌdɒm/US/ˈsɜːrfˌdɑːm/SERF·dom
the system or condition of serfs being tied to the land and subject to a lord (historical)
Examples
“Historians study the decline of serfdom across Europe during the 18th century.”
“The peasants revolted against serfdom and feudal obligations.”
“Serfdom shaped rural life for centuries in many countries.”
Band 8 sentence
“Scholars argue that the abolition of serfdom was a crucial step toward modern labour markets.”
Collocations
- abolish serfdom
- rise against serfdom
Word family
Common mistakes
serfdom = slavery→serfdom ≠ slavery; serfdom is serfs bound to land, slavery is ownership of people
The country lived under serfdom now.→The country lived under serfdom then.
Say it for a higher band
5slavery→6feudalism→7+serfdom
Synonyms
feudalism
Easily confused
feudalism
“Feudalism organised land ownership and obligations between lords and vassals.”
Related words
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In -dom
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