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 of fiefdom

• 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

The architects’ challenge was to shape a tower that was at once muscled and airy, a private fiefdom that appears invitingly public. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2025

Everyone is invited to this bacchanal of botox and fire dancers, but everyone seems to understand that this is actually the opening salvo of the war that’s been brewing between Mary and Chrishell’s respective fiefdoms. —Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025

The phrase itself captures a whole ecosystem of dysfunction — from gaslighting bosses to ambitious colleagues fiercely defending their little fiefdoms. —Big Think, 30 Oct. 2025

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

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fiefdom

• chiefdom