fiefdom

noun

fief·​dom ˈfēf-dəm How to pronounce fiefdom (audio)
plural fiefdoms
Synonyms of fiefdomnext
: an area over which someone exercises control as or in the manner of a feudal lord
The Seigneur could not sell his fiefdom without approval from the Queen.Timothy Foote
… he encouraged the notion that the company was an extension of himself, and certainly it had been argued over the years that in his spending habits he treated it as his personal fiefdom.Connie Bruck
These men began to run Brazil as their personal fiefdom.Sue Branford
… corruption and nepotism are as rife as ever, with regional party leaders running their local fiefdoms like mafia godfathers.Michael A. Hall

Examples of fiefdom in a Sentence

you'll have to ask that guy—the project is his fiefdom
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then there are the lesser houses, the lower fiefdoms squabbling over the crumbs that fall from the big kids’ table. Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 May 2026 This is another inefficient Broward County bureaucratic fiefdom, with people isolated in separate silos who do not want to deal with each other. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026 Joe is lording over his fiefdom from his den, designed in perfect Don Corleone-chic decor, when his fax machine buzzes to life. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026 There were too many divisions, too many fiefdoms. CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fiefdom

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fiefdom was in 1814

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Cite this Entry

“Fiefdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiefdom. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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