Meanings
- not comparableNot owning land.
The landless flock to the cities seeking jobs.
2 more examples
The landless younger sons of the gentry often entered the military as the only way to make a living.
By the mid-19th century, the typical village was sharply divided between the landowning class and the landless, voteless and largely illiterate labourers.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 392 - not comparableNot containing any land.
We set sail toward the landless horizon.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveowning no land
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishlandlēas
- Middle Englishlondlees
- Englishlandless
From Middle English londlees, from Old English landlēas, equivalent to land + -less. Cognate with Dutch landeloos (“landless”), German landlos (“landless”), Icelandic landlaus (“landless”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish maaton
- maatonnot owning land
Polish bezrolny
- bezrolnynot owning land
Portuguese sem-terra
- sem-terranot owning land
Swedish jordlös
- jordlösnot owning land
Cite this entry
landless. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/landless
“landless.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/landless. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “landless,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/landless.
Source: landless on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.