Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
corvee
Noun
/kɔːrˈveɪ/
Definition
A form of unpaid labor that a vassal or laborer is obligated to provide to a lord or government, often in lieu of taxes.
Examples
- In medieval times, peasants often owed corvee to their feudal lords, performing labor to pay off their land obligations.
- The government implemented a corvee system to help with the construction of roads and bridges in rural areas.
- During the ancient empires, corvee labor was commonly used to build large monuments and structures.
Meaning
Corvee refers to a system where individuals are required to work on public projects as a form of tax or duty, typically without being paid.
Synonyms
- Unpaid labor
- Forced labor
- Tax labor
