Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to enfeoff

to enfeoff

9.9
To give land to someone in return for their promise to serve in feudal times
  • verb
  • /ɪnˈfiːəf/
  • Archaic
translation icon : enfiteutar
  • The king decided to enfeoff his loyal knight with several acres of land as a reward for his service.

Examples

  • In the feudal system, a lord would enfeoff a vassal in exchange for military support.

  • To strengthen his influence, the duke chose to enfeoff new retainers with land and titles.

  • The church is not subservient to any given political, economic, or social system and therefore patronizes no political regime; she cannot in fact or in law be enfeoffed to anyone.

    Academic text (1992)

Synonyms

to feu
vsto enfeoff
  • Archaic
9.9

To give land to someone under an old Scottish system for regular rent

grants possession in return for a pledge of service within feudal relationships

Antonyms

to withhold
210 5.1

Refuse to give something someone wants or needs

Surface Forms

enfeoff infinitive
enfeoffing present participle
enfeoffs third person singular
enfeoffed past
enfeoffed past participle

Morphology

enfeoff = feoff (semi-transparent) = en + feoff

The form is a straightforward prefixation (en- + feoff) and the meaning follows that structure, but both elements and the legal concept are archaic and uncommon for average learners.

Etymology

Enfeoff comes from the old word feoff (also fief), which meant 'a piece of land given in return for service' in the feudal system. So to enfeoff someone is to give them land as a reward or in return for their promise to serve.