noun
loyalty to one's lord; fealty of a vassal
A formal, historical term referring to the duty and loyalty a retainer owes to their feudal lord. Rare in modern conversation; encountered mainly in historical or literary contexts.
戦国時代、家臣は主君に臣節を尽くすことが求められた。
In the Warring States period, retainers were expected to show absolute loyalty to their lord.
Compound of 臣 (しん, 'retainer, vassal') and 節 (せつ, 'principle, fidelity'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in classical Chinese and Japanese texts to denote the moral duty of a subject to their ruler.