Definition

Noun: 1. The position, authority, or domain of a feudal lord (seigneur): This refers to the legal and social power held by a lord in a feudal system, including rights over land and the people living on it. 2. The estate or territory controlled by a feudal lord: This refers to the physical land and property over which a seigneur held authority.

Usage Examples

• The king granted him the seigneury over the fertile valley, giving him the right to collect taxes and administer justice.
• The old manor house was the administrative center of the vast seigneury.
• His seigneury included several villages and extensive farmlands.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical contexts, particularly relating to medieval Europe and places with French feudal traditions, such as pre-revolutionary France and parts of colonial Canada (New France).
• It can be used abstractly to refer to the system of lordship itself.
  • The institution of seigneury shaped the social structure of the region for centuries.

Variants and Related Words

• Seigneur (noun): The feudal lord who holds a seigneury.
• Seigniorial (adjective): Relating to a seigneur or seigneury (e.g., seigniorial rights).
• Seigniory: An alternate spelling with the same meaning as "seigneury."

Synonyms

• Lordship
• Manor (primarily for the estate sense)
• Fiefdom
• Domain
• Estate

Related Phrases

• Rights of seigneury: The specific legal privileges granted to a lord, such as the right to hold courts or demand labor.
  • The rights of seigneury were formally abolished after the revolution.

Noun

1. the position and authority of a feudal lord
2. the estate of a seigneur