Fief (Noun)
Meaning
A piece of land held under the feudal system.
Classification
Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession.
Examples
- The vassal received a large fief in the north from his lord for his military service.
- A lord typically held several smaller fiefs from the king or higher-ranking noble.
- To receive his fief, the new lord was required to take an oath of loyalty and pledge to supply the necessary number of soldiers for military service.
- Vassals relied heavily on their fief as the main source of income for maintaining their position.
- Through conquest, he obtained control over numerous small fiefs from surrounding rival families and brought order to the once turbulent land.