de-feudalization
|de-feu-da-li-za-tion|
🇺🇸
/diː.fjuː.də.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
🇬🇧
/diː.fjuː.də.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
(de-feudalize)
undoing feudalism / removing feudal structures
Etymology
'de-feudalization' originates from a modern English compound formed from the prefix 'de-' (from Latin 'de-') meaning 'removal' or 'reversal' and 'feudalization' derived from 'feudal' + the nominalizing suffix '-ization'.
'Feudal' ultimately comes from Medieval Latin 'feodum' (meaning 'fief'), passed into Old French as 'feodal / féodal' and Middle English as 'feudal'; the formation '-ization' is a modern English suffix used to form nouns indicating processes, and the prefix 'de-' was added in modern English to indicate reversal, producing 'de-feudalize' and then 'de-feudalization'.
Originally the root 'feodum' referred specifically to a 'fief' or landholding; over time 'feudal' described the broader social and legal system based on such holdings, and 'de-feudalization' now denotes the process of removing or undoing those feudal structures.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process or result of abolishing feudal structures, relations, or institutions; removal of feudalism.
The country's de-feudalization after the revolution transformed land ownership and social relations.
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Verb 1
to remove feudal structures or relations; to abolish feudal privileges or institutions (base form: 'de-feudalize').
Reforms aimed to de-feudalize rural governance and redistribute land.
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Adjective 1
describing something that has undergone the removal of feudal characteristics or has been freed from feudal structures (often 'de-feudalized').
A de-feudalized economy allowed for more centralized administration.
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Last updated: 2025/10/28 21:43