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Principality vs Fief - What's the difference?

principality | fief |

As nouns the difference between principality and fief

is that principality is (obsolete) the state of being a prince or ruler; sovereignty, absolute authority while fief is an estate held of a superior on condition of military service.

principality

English

Noun

(principalities)
  • (obsolete) The state of being a prince or ruler; sovereignty, absolute authority.
  • A region or sovereign nation headed by a prince or princess.
  • * 1990 , (Peter Hopkirk), The Great Game , Folio Society 2010, p. 14:
  • At this time Russia consisted of a dozen or so principalities , which were frequently at war with one another.
  • (theology) A spiritual being, specifically in Christian angelology, the fifth level of angels, ranked above powers and below dominions.
  • See also

    * choirs of angels * dominion * power

    fief

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An estate held of a superior on condition of military service.
  • Something over which one has rights or exercises control.
  • (metaphor) An area of dominion, especially in a corporate or governmental bureaucracy.
  • Synonyms

    * manor

    Derived terms

    * fiefdom * in fief

    See also

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----