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
• realm
• domain
• department
• element
• kingdom
• walk
• field
• sphere
• territory

Examples of fiefdom in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Back at Viva Frontier Tower, after the morning rave and a full day of sessions on health and longevity, Ion, now dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, leads a few dozen attendees on a tour of his pop-up fiefdom. —Vittoria Elliott, Wired News, 26 Sep. 2025

It was set so far after the different kingdoms, fiefdoms and ruling factions have grown. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025

These endowments were meant to train gospel-proclaiming ministers, not to fund progressive ideology or elite academic fiefdoms. —The Rev. Jake Dell, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025

Criminal-political networks will continue dividing the country into private fiefdoms, with politics, justice, and the legal economy reduced to arenas of lawless competition. —Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fiefdom

• chiefdom