What does "odal" mean?
Among the early and medieval Teutonic peoples, especially Scandinavians, the heritable land held by the various odalmen constituting a family or kindred of freeborn tribesmen.
Odal
adj, noun
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Among the early and medieval Teutonic peoples, especially Scandinavians, the heritable land held by the various odalmen constituting a family or kindred of freeborn tribesmen.
- Grammar: odal is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ethel.
- Usage evidence: At the time of the laws owners of odal had, it appears, certain powers of selling their odal, but even then it was not an uncontrolled right of a man to do what he would with his own.
How to use "odal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "odal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "odal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "odal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "odal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "odal" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ethel" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "odal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Among the early and medieval Teutonic peoples, especially Scandinavians, the heritable land held by the various odalmen constituting a family or kindred of freeborn tribesmen. historical
"At the time of the laws owners of odal had, it appears, certain powers of selling their odal, but even then it was not an uncontrolled right of a man to do what he would with his own."
- 2 A large liana native to India and Southeastern Asia, Sarcostigma kleinii, used to produce therapeutic seed oil. capitalized, obsolete, often
"Extract the oil from the seeds of Odal (Sarcostigma kleinii) and apply on the affected part of the body."
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of odal alt-of
"Images of the CPAC stage went viral this weekend as many noted a resemblance to the Odal or Othala Rune, a symbol emblazoned on some Nazi uniforms."
- 4 The ownership and claim of such land.
"Generations of ancestors may have given an extended family the right to the land, in the same way that later Norse settlers obtained an odal right to the land they farmed."
- 5 A rune in the Elder Futhark, ᛟ, associated with ancestral land.
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to odal land. not-comparable
- 2 Of or relating to an ode or odes. not-comparable
"But what’s clear from the extraordinary proliferation of contemporary lyric odes, and the reactions to the ecstatic claims of these odes, is that the question of poetry, sociality, and globality has become unavoidable: contemporary poetry, which has long resisted incorporation into the discourse of globalization, must be understood on a global, and odal, scale."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"At the time of the laws owners of odal had, it appears, certain powers of selling their odal, but even then it was not an uncontrolled right of a man to do what he would with his own."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "odal"?
Common synonyms include: ethel.
How do you use "odal" in a sentence?
At the time of the laws owners of odal had, it appears, certain powers of selling their odal, but even then it was not an uncontrolled right of a man to do what he would with his own.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Icelandic óðal (“estate”). Cognate with Norwegian odel, odal (“allodium, patrimony”), Old English ēþel (“homeland”). Compare athel, Odelsthing.
Etymology 2
From ode + -al.
Etymology 3
Borrowed from Tamil [Term?].