also: しゅじゅう
noun
master-servant relationship; lord-retainer bond; employer-employee relation
Refers to the hierarchical relationship between a superior and a subordinate, historically between a lord and retainer, and in modern contexts between an employer and employee.
封建時代の主従関係は絶対的な忠誠に基づいていた。
The lord-retainer relationship in the feudal era was based on absolute loyalty.
現
Even in modern companies, a hierarchical relationship like master and servant sometimes remains.
上下関係 is a broader term for any vertical relationship, while 主従 specifically implies a master-servant or lord-retainer dynamic with clear authority and obedience.
Compound of 主 (master, lord) and 従 (follow, obey). The word directly describes the relationship between a master and a follower.