encomienda

[ en-koh-mee-en-duh, -kom-ee-; Spanish eng-kaw-myen-dah ]

noun,plural en·co·mi·en·das [en-koh-mee-en-duhz, -kom-ee-; Spanish eng-kaw-myen-dahs]. /ɛnˌkoʊ miˈɛn dəz, -ˌkɒm i-; Spanish ˌɛŋ kɔˈmyɛn dɑs/. (formerly in Spanish America)
  1. 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.

  2. the land or village together with its inhabitants.

Origin of encomienda

1
1800–10; <Spanish: charge, commission, recommendation. See en-1, commend

Words Nearby encomienda

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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