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

Like a vassal state in the ancient mercantile system, all Putin has to sell are raw materials in energy, metals, and agriculture. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, TIME, 26 Feb. 2025

That would be a higher gross domestic product share than Germany’s reparations after World War I and leave Ukraine a vassal state. —Elizabeth Shackelford, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2025

After all, a continued Russian military could help prevent Syria from becoming a wholly powerless vassal state of Turkey. —Paul Iddon, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

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

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

Rhymes for vassal

• castle
• facile
• gracile
• hassall
• hassle
• passel
• tassel
• fluorouracil
• thiouracil
• forecastle
• uracil
• propylthiouracil

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