encomienda
Americannoun
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encomiendas
plural
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the system, instituted in 1503, under which a Spanish soldier or colonist was granted a tract of land or a village together with its Indian inhabitants.
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the land or village together with its inhabitants.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of encomienda
1800–10; < Spanish: charge, commission, recommendation. See en- 1, commend
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Las Casas eventually convinced King Charles V to implement the New Laws of 1542 that sought to end the encomienda system, but Spanish settlers in the Americas violently opposed the reforms and the system remained.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022
The missions were relatively autonomous from Spanish rulers — intentionally so to protect the Guarani from the abuses of the encomienda leaders who wanted them as a source of labor.
From US News ● Jul. 11, 2015
In particular, they criticized the harsh pattern of labor that emerged under the encomienda system.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2012
The Spanish government abolished the encomienda system in 1542.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2012
The system of giving the Indians in encomienda and repartimiento is absolutely contrary to the royal commands issued by Queen Isabella to Columbus and his successors during her reign.
From Bartholomew de Las Casas; his life, apostolate, and writings by Francis Augustus MacNutt
But the land was fertile, and the Native Americans told of even richer soil to the east, ideal for encomiendas, as large Spanish-ruled plantations exploiting indigenous labor were called.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
He finds it plausible that Coronado could have built a Spanish empire of encomiendas in the American Midwest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
As a reward for their service, the Spanish government gave some Tlaxcalans encomiendas, and the tribe enjoyed a far better position in the Spanish Empire than many other Native American groups.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022
The drawing was part of a complaint about Spanish abuses of their encomiendas.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 30, 2014
Joseph de Navada Alvarado, and others; 1632–36 111 Decree extending the tenure of encomiendas.
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