1. plural of fief; estates of land held from a feudal lord in exchange for service
Usage: historical

Examples

• Medieval knights received fiefs from their lords in return for military service.
• The duke controlled several large fiefs throughout the kingdom.
• Peasants worked the land on various fiefs owned by nobles.
• The feudal system was based on the granting of fiefs to vassals.
• Many fiefs were passed down through generations of noble families.
• The king redistributed the rebel baron’s fiefs to loyal supporters.