tenant in chief
or tenant-in-chief
noun
a feudal vassal who holds land directly from the king.
Origin of tenant in chief
1First recorded in 1600–10
- Also called ten·ant in cap·i·te [kap-i-tee]. /ˈkæp ɪ ti/.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use tenant in chief in a sentence
The same principle applies to the relation between the tenant-in-chief and his under-tenant.
The old Parliaments, which every tenant-in-chief had at least the customary right of attending, were no longer to exist.
A Student's History of England, v. 1 (of 3) | Samuel R. Gardiner.
British Dictionary definitions for tenant-in-chief
tenant-in-chief
noun
(in feudal society) a tenant who held some or all of his lands directly from the king
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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