villainage
/ˈvɪlənɪdʒ/
noun
- The state or condition of being a villain; wicked or criminal behavior.
- The king punished the lord for his villainage against the kingdom.
- His villainage shocked even his closest friends.
- The story is full of treachery and villainage.
- In medieval times, the legal status of a peasant who was bound to work on a lord's land; serfdom.
- Villainage was common in Europe during the Middle Ages.
- Under the system of villainage, peasants could not leave the land without permission.
- The lord demanded heavy taxes from those living in villainage.
Antonyms