/ˈfju:dəlɪzəm ||; ˈfjudḷˌɪzəm/noun [U] the social system which existed in the Middle Ages in Europe, in which people worked and fought for a person who owned land and received land and protection from him in return 封建制度（盛行于中世纪的欧洲，佃农为地主工作、打仗，从而得到地主赐地和保护）