1. a feudal system in which peasants were bound to work on their lord’s land and could not leave without permission
Usage: historical
2. a state of subjection or servitude

Examples

• Serfdom was abolished in Russia in 1861.
• Medieval peasants lived under the harsh conditions of serfdom.
• The feudal lord controlled every aspect of life under serfdom.
• Many serfs dreamed of escaping the bonds of serfdom.
• The revolution ended centuries of serfdom in the region.
• Economic serfdom trapped workers in cycles of debt and dependency.