1. of or relating to an intermediate lord or estate in a feudal chain of tenure
Usage: legal/historical; chiefly British

1. an intermediate lord or tenant in a feudal hierarchy
Usage: legal/historical; chiefly British

Examples

• The mesne lord held land from the king and granted it to a tenant.
• In feudal England, a mesne estate was one held between the crown and the lowest tenant.
• The mesne profits were collected by the intermediate landlord.
• A mesne assignment transferred rights between intermediate parties in the chain of title.