Legal Definitions - fief-tenant

Definition: A fief-tenant is a person who holds a fief or fee, which is a piece of land granted to them by a lord in exchange for their loyalty and service.

Example: In medieval Europe, a knight might be a fief-tenant who held a piece of land from a lord. The knight would be responsible for defending the land and providing military service to the lord.

Explanation: The example illustrates how a fief-tenant was a person who held a piece of land from a lord. The fief-tenant was expected to provide loyalty and service to the lord in exchange for the land. This was a common practice in medieval Europe, where land ownership was closely tied to social status and military service.