fiefdom
Americannoun
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the estate or domain of a feudal lord.
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Informal. anything, as an organization or real estate, owned or controlled by one dominant person or group.
noun
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(in feudal Europe) the property owned by a lord
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an area over which a person or organization exerts authority or influence
Etymology
Origin of fiefdom
Vocabulary lists containing fiefdom
Medieval Europe - Middle School
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Medieval Europe - High School
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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.
The book depicts Mr. Stein as a Boss Tweed-style figure who ran the lifeguarding program as a personal fiefdom, rewarding those loyal to him with plum assignments and punishing those who sought system reform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Morales has been hiding out from police in his central coca-growing fiefdom of Chapare since late 2024.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
J. Edgar Hoover, who led the FBI for 48 years, had established a personal fiefdom devoted to consolidating power and pursuing his own personal obsessions, sometimes with blackmail and coercion.
From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2026
Rangel’s attorney, Tamar Arminak, said her client felt vindicated by the jury’s decision, after spending years trying to blow the whistle about a division that was essentially run as its own fiefdom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2025
At the head of the table sits Mr. McCracken, who glowers at everyone as if he were a lord presiding over his fiefdom.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
