What does bondman mean?
A bondman is a man bound in servitude, most specifically a feudal serf legally tied to a lord's land and obliged to labor for him. The term derives from Middle English, combining 'bond' (in its older sense of binding, servitude, or tenure) with 'man'. In medieval England, the bondman occupied the lowest rung of free society below the freeman: he could not leave his holding, marry outside the manor without permission, or sell his labor elsewhere. By extension, the word has been used more broadly for any man held in slavery or bondage. Today 'bondman' is largely archaic, surviving in historical writing, legal texts, and literature about the Middle Ages, where it lends period authenticity. Its feminine form is 'bondwoman', and its plural is 'bondmen'. Readers encounter it most often in accounts of feudalism and in older translations of historical or biblical material.
nounA man who is bound in servitude to a lord or master, especially as a feudal serf or bondsman; a male slave or serf.
- A male serf or villein bound to work a feudal lord's land.
- A man held in bondage or slavery.
"Under the feudal system, the bondman was required to work his lord's land several days each week."
"The Domesday Book recorded every bondman on the estate along with his obligations."
"He lived and died a bondman, never permitted to leave the land he tilled."
Standard irregular-style plural formed by replacing '-an' with '-en'; used in historical and legal writing.
"The manor's roll listed forty-three bondmen among its tenants."
Before 'serfdom' became the standard term, English law called these unfree laborers 'bondmen' — and the word survives in Magna Carta-era legal documents.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bondman
The word 'bondman' comes from Middle English, where it was formed from 'bond' — an old word for a householder or peasant, later associated with binding and servitude — combined with 'man'. It was the standard term in medieval English law for an unfree tenant or serf, contrasting directly with the 'freeman'. Related forms include 'bondwoman' for a woman in the same condition, while cognates such as 'bondage' share the same root sense of being tied or bound.
Related word forms
How bondman is actually used
Archaic and historical in modern usage; found mainly in discussions of medieval history, law, and literature. The feminine counterpart is 'bondwoman'.
Easily confused with bondman
A bondsman is most commonly someone who guarantees another's debt or acts as surety (as in bail bondsman), whereas a bondman historically means a male serf or slave.