tenant in chief

or tenant-in-chief

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noun

a feudal vassal who holds land directly from the king.

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Also called ten·ant in cap·i·te

[kap-i-tee]. /ˈkæp ɪ ti/.

Origin of tenant in chief

First recorded in 1600–10

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.
Feudal England -- Historical Studies On The Eleventh And Twelfth Centuries|J.H. Round
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