tenant in chief
or ten·ant-in-chief
noun
a feudal vassal who holds land directly from the king.
Also called
ten·ant in cap·i·te
[kap-i-tee] /ˈkæp ɪ ti/.
Origin of tenant in chief
First recorded in 1600–10
Words nearby tenant in chief
tenancy,
tenancy in common,
tenant,
tenant farmer,
tenant farming,
tenant in chief,
tenant in common,
tenant-in-chief,
tenantry,
tenants association,
tenants' charter
Example sentences from the Web for tenant-in-chief
The old Parliaments, which every tenant-in-chief had at least the customary right of attending, were no longer to exist.
A Student's History of England, v. 1 (of 3) |Samuel R. Gardiner.The same principle applies to the relation between the tenant-in-chief and his under-tenant.
British Dictionary definitions for tenant-in-chief
tenant-in-chief
noun
(in feudal society) a tenant who held some or all of his lands directly from the king