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

Many Chicagoans were irate that their absentee neighbor gobbled up parkland for his private fiefdom, though center staff point out that the project really added a few extra acres to it by excising the roadway that cut the South Side off from the water. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026

Individual fiefdoms will survive this disingenuous brand of political gamesmanship, but the governor and other top leaders may not. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 4 June 2026

Then there are the lesser houses, the lower fiefdoms squabbling over the crumbs that fall from the big kids’ table. —Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 May 2026

This is another inefficient Broward County bureaucratic fiefdom, with people isolated in separate silos who do not want to deal with each other. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fiefdom

• chiefdom