fief

Meaning

Synonyms

Translations

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(countable, historical, uncountable) Land held of a superior, particularly on condition of homage, fealty, and personal service, especially military service.
(countable, figuratively, uncountable) Synonym of estate: any land, when considered as a region over which the owner exercises lordly control.
(countable, figuratively, uncountable) A territory, a domain, an area over which one exercises lordly control, particularly with regard to corporate or governmental bureaucracies.

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fiːf/

Cognate with Old French

fieu

In summary

From Middle French fief, from Old French fief, from Medieval Latin fevum, a variant of feudum (whence also Old French fieu, fied), from Old Frankish *fehu (“cattle, livestock”), from Proto-Germanic *fehu (“cattle, sheep”), from Proto-Indo-European *peku-, *peḱu- (“sheep”). Doublet of fee, feud, and feoff.