fiefdom

fief +‎ -dom

• IPA^(key): /ˈfiːf.dəm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːfdəm

fiefdom (countable and uncountable, plural fiefdoms)

1. (historical) The estate controlled by a feudal lord.

   Synonym: fief

   The duke's fiefdom had been greatly expanded as a reward for his dutiful military service on behalf of the king.

   • 1989, Robert Shea, The Saracen‎, The Holy War:

     "If you wish to offer any of my vassals fiefdoms or positions in your new kingdom, they have my leave to accept. I promised them that when they came with me."

2. (by extension, chiefly derogatory) Any organization in the control of a dominant individual.
   • 2008, David Maraniss, First In His Class: A Biography Of Bill Clinton‎, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:

     “[Bill Clinton] was just walking around, looking in all the offices, like he was surveying his fiefdom. He had a big grin on his face.”

   • 2012 April 23, Angelique Chrisafis, “François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election”, in The Guardian‎:

     Hollande told cheering supporters in his rural fiefdom of Corrèze in south-west France that he was best-placed to lead France towards change, saying the vote marked a "rejection" of Sarkozy and a "sanction" against his five years in office.

   • 2022 November 22, Dominic Rushe, “FTX was run as ‘personal fiefdom’ of Sam Bankman-Fried, court hears”, in The Guardian‎:

     Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX was run as the “personal fiefdom” of founder Sam Bankman-Fried, with one of the company’s units spending $300m on real estate in the Bahamas for the use of its executives, a court heard on Tuesday.