seigneur
Noun: 1. A feudal lord; a man of rank, especially a landowner, in the pre-revolutionary French social system (the ancien régime). It denotes a man who held authority over a manor or estate, with peasants (vassals or serfs) owing him labor, rent, or other services. 2. A title of respect or authority; a lord or master. This usage extends the feudal sense to denote a person in a position of command or ownership.
The word "seigneur" is primarily historical, used to describe the social and landholding structures of medieval and early modern Europe, particularly France. It is a formal term. * As a subject or object: "The seigneur collected taxes from the villagers." * With a possessive or modifier: "The land was under the seigneur's control." / "He was the local seigneur."
- The peasant's life was heavily dependent on the will of the seigneur.
- In the feudal system, the seigneur granted protection to his vassals in exchange for their loyalty and service.
- The château was the residence of the seigneur who ruled the surrounding countryside.
- Seigneurial rights (or dues): The specific privileges and payments (such as a portion of the harvest or mandatory use of the lord's mill) that a seigneur was entitled to from those living on his land.
- The abolition of seigneurial rights was a key demand during the French Revolution.
- Grand seigneur: (From French, meaning "great lord") Used figuratively in English to describe a man who behaves with the dignity, generosity, or authority of a nobleman.
- He hosted the dinner with the air of a grand seigneur.
- Seignior: An archaic English variant spelling of "seigneur."
- Seigneury (also Seigniory) (noun): The estate, domain, or authority of a seigneur.
- He inherited a vast seigneury in the province.
- Seigniorage (noun): A financial term originally denoting the profit made by a lord (or sovereign) from minting coins; now refers to the profit from issuing currency.
- Seigneurial (adjective): Relating to a seigneur or seigneury.
- The seigneurial system was based on land tenure.
- Lord
- Feudal lord
- Landlord (in the historical, feudal context)
- Master
- Patron (in some contexts of protection and authority)
- Serf
- Vassal (specifically the one owing service)
- Peasant
- Commoner
- Droit du seigneur: (From French, meaning "right of the lord") A supposed medieval legal right allowing a lord to sleep with the bride of a vassal on her wedding night. Often used more as a historical concept or literary trope than a verified widespread practice.
- The novel explores the myth of the droit du seigneur.
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a man of rank in the ancient regime
