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fief

noun \ˈfēf\

: a large area of land that was ruled over by a lord in medieval times : a feudal estate

Full Definition of FIEF

: a feudal estate : fee

: something over which one has rights or exercises control <a politician's fief>

— fief·dom \-dəm\ noun

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Origin of FIEF

French, from Old French — more at fee

First Known Use: circa 1611

Related to FIEF

Synonyms: area, arena, bailiwick, barony, business, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, field, fiefdom, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, province, realm, specialty, sphere, terrain, walk

Other History Terms

agonistic, carpetbagger, enceinte, historiography, paladin

Rhymes with FIEF

beef, brief, chief, grief, kef, leaf, lief, reef, sheaf, thief

FIEF Defined for Kids

fief

noun \ˈfēf\

Definition of FIEF for Kids

: an estate of land given to a vassal by a feudal lord

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "fief"

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "fief"

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Next Word in the Dictionary: field (noun)Previous Word in the Dictionary: fiedleriteAll Words Near: fief

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