fief

[feef] /fif/
noun
1.
a fee or feud held of a feudal lord; a tenure of land subject to feudal obligations.
2.
a territory held in fee.
3.
fiefdom.
Origin
1605-15; < French, variant of Old French fieu, fie, cognate with Anglo-French fe fee < Germanic; compare Old High German fihu, Old English feoh cattle, property; akin to Latin pecū flock of sheep, pecus cattle, pecūnia wealth
Examples from the web for fief
  • For many years he has run his company as though it were a personal fief financed with shareholder money.
  • He decorated his fief with roads and health centres named after himself.
  • Each of these princes has his own fief with an extensive network of power and patronage.
  • The evil dictator dead, now his former fief flounders.
British Dictionary definitions for fief

fief

/fiːf/
noun
1.
(in feudal Europe) the property or fee granted to a vassal for his maintenance by his lord in return for service
Word Origin
C17: from Old French fie, of Germanic origin; compare Old English fēo cattle, money, Latin pecus cattle, pecūnia money, Greek pokos fleece
Word Origin and History for fief
n.

also feoff, 1610s, from French fief (12c.) "possession, holding, domain," a variant of Old French fieu "fee" (see fee).

fief in Culture
fief [(feef)]

Under feudalism, a landed estate given by a lord to a vassal in return for the vassal's service to the lord. The vassal could use the fief as long as he remained loyal to the lord.