fiefdom

noun

fief·​dom ˈfēf-dəm 

plural fiefdoms

: 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

Synonyms

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

Examples of fiefdom in a Sentence

you'll have to ask that guy—the project is his fiefdom

Recent Examples on the Web

Having established himself as the ultimate cool, implacable bad guy in the Matrix movies, Hugo Weaving has brought an instant credibility to the role of Frank Harkness, whose mercenary operation at Les Arbres operates like its own cruel fiefdom in the bleakest town in France. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024

The Sunday Times newspaper and broadcaster Channel 4 joined forces in a five-month-long investigation which uncovered more than 5,000 land registry documents connected with the two men’s huge property portfolios, the King’s Duchy of Lancaster fiefdom and Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall. —Caroline Frost, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2024

Putin has given Kadyrov wide latitude to run Chechnya as his personal fiefdom in return for maintaining stability in the region. —Reuters, NBC News, 10 Oct. 2024

People who focus on ‘building fiefdoms’ One thing Chaudhry pays attention to is how interviewees measure success. —Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above