Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation Vocabulary

Flashcards covering essential vocabulary, concepts, social structures, and religious terms across Medieval Europe, the Renaissance, and the Reformation.

What was feudalism?

A system in which people exchanged land, work, or loyalty for protection.

What was a medieval manor?

A large area of land controlled by a lord where peasants lived and worked.

What was a serf?

A peasant who lived and worked on a lord's land and was not free to leave.

What was the role of a lord in medieval society?

A powerful landowner who controlled a manor and provided protection to the people living there.

What was chivalry?

A code of behavior that expected knights to show courage, loyalty, honor, and respect.

What is a heretic?

A person whose religious beliefs went against the official teachings of the Church.

What is an indulgence?

A payment or action associated with reducing punishment for sins.

What were the Crusades?

A series of religious wars fought mainly between European Christians and Muslims in which European Christians attempted to gain control of the Holy Land.

What was a vassal?

A person who received land from a lord in exchange for loyalty and service.

What was a fief?

Land given by a lord to a vassal in exchange for service and loyalty.

What was a guild?

An organization of merchants or craftspeople that controlled prices, training, and the quality of goods.

What was an apprentice?

A young person who learned a skilled trade by working under an experienced craftsperson.

What was a peasant?

A lower-class person who usually lived in the countryside and worked the land.

What was a noble?

A member of the wealthy, powerful social class that usually owned or controlled land.

What were sumptuary laws?

Laws that controlled what people could wear based on their social class.

What was a courtier?

A member of the royal court who served or attended a king or queen, usually from a noble family.

What is a pandemic?

An outbreak of disease that spreads across countries or large regions of the world.

What is a schism?

A formal split or division within a religious organization.

What is commerce?

The buying and selling of goods.

What was a charter?

A written document granting a town certain rights and freedoms.

What was a burgher?

A person who lived in a medieval town, especially a merchant or businessperson.

What is an artisan?

A skilled worker who makes goods by hand.

What was the Renaissance?

A period of European history marked by a rebirth in interest in the art, literature, ideas and achievements of ancient Greece and Rome.

What does the term quintessential mean?

The most typical or perfect example of a person, thing or idea.

What was humanism?

A Renaissance movement that focused on human potential, achievements and individual worth, while drawing inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman ideas.

What is patronage?

Financial support given to artists, writers, scholars so they could create and develop their work.

What does vernacular mean?

The everyday language spoken by ordinary people in a particular region.

What does the term classical refer to?

Related to the cultures, ideas, literature, art and achievements of ancient Greece and Rome.

What does it mean to be secular?

Concerned with everyday life and worldly matters rather than primarily with religion or the Church.

What does Machiavellian mean?

Using clever, strategic, and sometimes dishonest methods to gain or maintain political power.

What does it mean to resolve?

To make a firm decision to do something.

What does prosperous mean?

Successful and wealthy.

What are engravings?

Pictures or designs carved into a hard surface and then used to make prints.

In art, what is a medium?

A material or method an artist uses to create art.

What does the term pagan mean?

Related to religions or beliefs outside of Christianity.

What does immoral mean?

Considered wrong or against accepted ideas of good behavior.

What is movable type?

Separate letters that can be arranged and rearranged to print words and pages.

What is a utopia?

An imagined perfect or ideal society.

What is a catalyst?

Something that causes or speeds up a major change.

What does it mean to recant?

To publicly take back something you previously said or believed.

What is anarchy?

A situation with little or no government or order.

How is prosperity defined?

Success, wealth or economic well-being.

What is sovereignty?

The right to control your own territory and make your own decisions.

What is resentment?

A feeling of anger or frustration because you believe you have been treated unfairly.

What is abolition?

The act of completely ending or getting rid of something.

What does it mean to suppress?

To stop something from spreading or continuing.

What is a Protestant?

A Christian who belongs to a church that separated from the Roman Catholic church during the Reformation.

What is treason?

The crime of betraying or acting against your ruler or country.

Who are the clergy?

People who are officially trained and authorized to lead and serve within a church.

What is a sacrament?

A sacred religious ceremony or practice.

What does it mean to reform?

To make changes in order to correct problems or improve something.

What is conformity?

Changing your behavior or beliefs to fit in with a group or follow what is expected.

What is an annulment?

An official decision that declares a marriage was not legally valid.

What is a dynasty?

A series of rulers from the same family.