Meaning & use

fiefdom

noun·Advanced

An area or sphere over which a person or group has control, especially jealously guarded.

See it in a sentence

The sales manager ran her department like a personal fiefdom, resisting any outside input.

In medieval Europe, powerful lords ruled their fiefdoms with near-total authority.

A note on using this word

The modern figurative use, describing a jealously controlled area of an organization, is now far more common than the historical feudal sense.

Words with a similar meaning

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