Relating to or characteristic of feudalism, a medieval system where nobles controlled land and peasants worked it in exchange for protection.
From feudal (relating to feuds or feudalism, from Medieval Latin feudum meaning fief or estate) plus -istic suffix meaning 'of or relating to.' The term developed in the 18th-19th centuries as historians analyzed medieval social systems.
Feudalistic societies created the blueprint for modern class systems—the idea that you're born into a social rank and must serve those above you persisted even after feudalism ended, influencing everything from colonial hierarchies to modern workplace structures.
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