serf

[ surf ]

noun

1. a person in a condition of feudal servitude, required to render services to a lord, commonly attached to the lord's land and transferred with it from one owner to another.

   Synonyms: peasant, villein, vassal

2. a worker who is underpaid, overworked, or otherwise exploited:

   Today's service-sector serfs are fighting for the most basic of job perks: a decent paycheck, a stable schedule, and paid time off when they are sick.

3. Obsolete. a person held in bondage or slavery.

serf

/ sɜːf /

noun

1. (esp in medieval Europe) an unfree person, esp one bound to the land. If his lord sold the land, the serf was passed on to the new landlord

serf

1. Under feudalism , a peasant bound to his lord's land and subject to his lord's will, but entitled to his lord's protection.

Derived Forms

• ˈserfˌlike, adjective
• ˈserfdom, noun

Other Words From

• serf·dom [surf, -d, uh, m] noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of serf¹

First recorded in 1475–85; from Old French, from Latin servus “slave”

Word History and Origins

Origin of serf¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin servus a slave; see serve

Example Sentences

As Delany put it, “The extent to which the American people carry this glorification of military crusaders is beyond a parallel. ... The extent to which this homage is carried ceases to be respectful since it is neither kind nor complimentary, but like the homage of the serf to the noble or the vassal to his lord, it is ludicrous.”

From Salon

The opening ensembles transported the audience back in time amid contemporary fusions, channeling the essence of a serf, the medieval agricultural laborer.

From Seattle Times

In 2009, China created the annual "Tibetan Serf Emancipation Day" to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the quelling of the uprising.

From BBC

It has also accused the Dalai Lama of spearheading a failed uprising in 1959 in order to "preserve the theocratic serf system".

From BBC

“All these elites come in for the World Economic Forum and basically their vision is they run everything and everybody else is just a serf,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican.

From Washington Times