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
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
Connie BruckThese men began to run Brazil as their personal fiefdom.—Sue Branford
Sue Branford… corruption and nepotism are as rife as ever, with regional party leaders running their local fiefdoms like mafia godfathers.—Michael A. Hall
Michael A. HallExamples of fiefdom in a Sentence
you'll have to ask that guy—the project is his fiefdom
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1542 a treaty with Spain would have made the principality a fiefdom, but the Grimaldi’s insisted on language that at least gave lip service to their sovereignty.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 Mar. 2025
Itay’s official cinematic and cultural organizations and departments have partnered effectively with the Venice Festival, even if those partnerships were often fraught with pressures as competing arts fiefdoms set bureaucrat against bureaucrat.
—Steven Gaydos, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025
Spending cuts have polarized Congress, where lawmakers who determine funding or set policies traditionally held tight control over their fiefdoms.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
The eastern borderlands of Democratic Republic of Congo, a country roughly the size of Western Europe, remain a tinder-box of rebel zones and militia fiefdoms in the wake of two successive regional wars stemming from Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.
—Reuters, NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025
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Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 Mar. 2025
Itay’s official cinematic and cultural organizations and departments have partnered effectively with the Venice Festival, even if those partnerships were often fraught with pressures as competing arts fiefdoms set bureaucrat against bureaucrat.
—Steven Gaydos, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025
Spending cuts have polarized Congress, where lawmakers who determine funding or set policies traditionally held tight control over their fiefdoms.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
The eastern borderlands of Democratic Republic of Congo, a country roughly the size of Western Europe, remain a tinder-box of rebel zones and militia fiefdoms in the wake of two successive regional wars stemming from Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.
—Reuters, NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiefdom
Cite this Entry
“Fiefdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiefdom. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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