vassal

noun

vas·​sal ˈva-səl 

1

: a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage and fealty : a feudal tenant

2

: one in a subservient or subordinate position

vassal adjective

Examples of vassal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Georgian protesters voice worries that their country might become a Russian vassal, like Belarus. —Anthony Borden, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025

The war was supposed to stop this movement and bring Ukraine back securely into vassal status, whether formally reincorporated into Russia proper or nominally independent with a puppet government in Kyiv beholden to Moscow. —Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2025

Witkoff went from Qatar to Israel on Saturday and insisted on having a meeting with the prime minister on the afternoon of the Jewish sabbath—a violation of Israeli protocol rudely designed to remind Netanyahu who was the vassal and who was the suzerain. —Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025

One-third of CPS schools are more than half empty yet the CPS board — a vassal of CTU — has increased salaries and benefits by nearly 50% since 2019, going on a 9,000-staffer hiring spree even as 37,000 more students left the system. —Forrest Claypool, Chicago Tribune, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin vassallus "serf of the manor house, household servant, lord's man who has received a fief," borrowed from Gaulish *wassall-, derivative of *wass- "servant" (whence Medieval Latin vassus "serf, servant, holder of a fief"), going back to Celtic *wosto-, whence Welsh gwas "boy, servant," Middle Breton goas, Old Irish foss "servant, attendant"

Note: Celtic *wasto- is generally taken to continue Indo-European *upo-sth₂-o- "one who stands under," which may be correct if Gaulish *wass- shares with British Celtic unrounding of o in this position.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

vassal

noun

vas·​sal ˈvas-əl 

: a person in the Middle Ages who received protection and land from a lord in return for loyalty and service