French word

fief

Pronunciation

IPA/fjɛf/

Meaning

  • masculine nounfief

Example

Le chevalier reçoit un fief du seigneur.

The knight receives a fief from the lord.

Illustration for fief (fief)

More examples

Dans cette entreprise, il a son fief.

In this company, he has his own sphere of influence.

Core concept

A granted estate under a lord that later suggests a person or group's power base.

Similar words

domaine: A private estate including extensive grounds and buildings.
territoire: A geographical area controlled or administered by a country or group.
influence: The power or effect that a person or organization has on others.
sphère: A defined range of activity or influence.

Definition in French

Terme qui, au sens propre, désigne un domaine féodal tenu par un vassal et, au sens figuré, un territoire d'influence ou un bastion politique.

Word origin

French fief comes through Old French from medieval Latin feodum, a term linked to the Germanic root *fehu, meaning property.

Usage tips

  • Fief is masculine, so the usual form is un fief, and its figurative use is more common in formal writing than in everyday speech.

Other meanings

  • fiefdomnoun

Word lists with this word