fee

American  

[fee] / fi /

noun

1. a charge or payment for professional services.

   a doctor's fee.

   Synonyms:

   honorarium, emolument, salary, stipend

2. a sum paid or charged for a privilege.

   an admission fee.

3. a charge allowed by law for the service of a public officer.

4. Law.

   1. an estate of inheritance in land, either absolute and without limitation to any particular class of heirs fee simple or limited to a particular class of heirs fee tail.

   2. an inheritable estate in land held of a feudal lord on condition of the performing of certain services.

   3. a territory held in fee.

5. a gratuity; tip.

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verb (used with object)

feed, feeing

1. to give a fee to.

2. Chiefly Scot. to hire; employ.

fee British  

/ fiː /

noun

1. a payment asked by professional people or public servants for their services

   a doctor's fee

   school fees

2. a charge made for a privilege

   an entrance fee

3. property law

   1. an interest in land capable of being inherited See fee simple fee tail

   2. the land held in fee

4. (in feudal Europe) the land granted by a lord to his vassal

5. an obsolete word for a gratuity

6. 1. law (of land) in absolute ownership

   2. archaic in complete subjection

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verb

1. rare to give a fee to

2. to hire for a fee

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• feeless
  adjective
• superfee
  noun
• overfee
  noun

Etymology

Origin of fee

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French; Old French fie, variant of fief fief. See feudal

Explanation

A fee is the cost of something, or the amount of money charged. You might need to pay a fee when you visit your favorite state park. Clubs, national parks, and gyms all charge a fee to belong or to enter. There is also the fee that a professional charges for services, like the legal fee you pay when you hire an attorney or the fee you pay your dentist to clean your teeth. Fee has an Old French origin in the word fieu, "possession, holding, domain, or payment," from the Medieval Latin feodum, "land whose use is granted in return for service."

Example Sentences

He also commanded that euerie man should make for him the third part of knights seruice, accordinglie as euerie fée might beare, to furnish him foorth into Normandie.

From Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (6 of 12) Richard the First by Holinshed, Raphael

"Comme extrait que je suis de fée," said Jean François, quoting his brother François Villon.

From Memories of a Musical Life by Mason, William

A cromlech at Pirols, said to have been built by a fée, is composed of seven massive stones, the largest being twelve feet long by eight and a half feet wide.

From British Goblins Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Sikes, Wirt

It seems to answer to mana in New Zealand and Melanesia, to wakan in North America, and to fée in old French, as when Perrault says, about Bluebeard's key, 'now the key was fée.'

From The Making of Religion by Lang, Andrew

By authoritie of the same parlement a subsidie was also granted to the king, of euerie knights fée twentie shillings, whether the same were holden of him by menaltie, or otherwise.

From Chronicles (3 of 6): Historie of England (1 of 9) Henrie IV by Holinshed, Raphael

Related Words

• account
• bill
• commission
• compensation
• cost
• cut
• expense
• pay
• payment
• price
• reward
• salary
• share
• stipend
• wage