villein

noun

vil·​lein ˈvi-lən How to pronounce villein (audio)
ˈvi-ˌlān,
vi-ˈlān How to pronounce villein (audio)
plural villeins
1
: a free common villager or village peasant of any of the feudal classes lower in rank than the thane
2
: a free peasant of a feudal class higher in rank than a cotter
3
: an unfree peasant enslaved to a feudal lord but free in legal relations with respect to all others

Examples of villein in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Thus, villeins were blamed for the evils disrupting an otherwise peaceful world. —Marisha Pessl, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vilain, vilein — more at villain

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of villein was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near villein

villeggiatura

villein

villeinhold

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Villein.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/villein. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

villein

noun
vil·​lein ˈvil-ən How to pronounce villein (audio) ˈvil-ˌān How to pronounce villein (audio)
vil-ˈān
1
: a free peasant
2
: an unfree peasant enslaved to a feudal lord

More from Merriam-Webster on villein

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about villein

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...