1. a person who holds land from a feudal lord and owes allegiance and service in return
Usage: historical; also called a vassal

1. relating to or characteristic of a feudatory or feudal system
Usage: historical

Examples

• The feudatory owed military service to his lord in exchange for protection and land.
• Medieval feudatory relationships formed the backbone of European social structure.
• As a feudatory, he was bound by oath to support the king in times of war.
• The feudatory system gradually declined with the rise of centralized nation-states.
• Many feudatory nobles held significant power over their own territories despite their subordinate status.
• The contract between lord and feudatory outlined specific duties and rights.