noun · neutral
fiefdom
/ˈfiːf.dəm/FIEF·dom
Band 5-6task2speaking
a territory or area of control granted under feudalism; figuratively, a small area of authority controlled by one person or group
Examples
“He treats the department as his personal fiefdom.”
“Medieval lords ruled their fiefdoms with considerable autonomy.”
“Critics say the project became a fiefdom for a few insiders.”
Band 8 sentence
“Modern critics sometimes describe siloed bureaucracies as 'fiefdoms' to emphasise how they resist external accountability.”
Collocations
- personal fiefdom
- run/maintain a fiefdom
- break up fiefdoms
Word family
fiefdom nounfiefdoms noun (plural)
Common mistakes
estate→fiefdom
domain→fiefdom
Say it for a higher band
5area→6domain→7+fiefdom
Synonyms
domain
stronghold
Easily confused
domain
“The internet has become a domain for new kinds of business.”
Related words
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In -dom
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