villeinage

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Yea," said he, "that wot I well, that these are of the kin of the daughters of the horse-leech; but how shall they slake their greed, seeing that as thou sayest villeinage shall be gone?

From A Dream of John Ball; and, a king's lesson by Morris, William

Their inhabitants, in spite of ascetic regulations, found that life was none so hard—at least in comparison with that of serfdom or villeinage; luxuries were not less available than to the laity.

From England under the Tudors by Innes, Arthur D. (Arthur Donald)

In Scotland they had just been emancipated from the status of villeinage.

From Recent Developments in European Thought by Various

Through various grades of slavery, serfdom, villeinage, and through various organizations of castes and guilds, the industrial organization has been modified and developed up to the modern system.

From What Social Classes Owe to Each Other by Sumner, William Graham

But besides what belonged thus exclusively to the lord of the manor, there was a great deal more that was legally described as held in villeinage.

From Mediaeval Socialism by Jarrett, Bede