What is fiefdom meaning?

A fiefdom was a medieval system of land ownership and management in which a lord granted a portion of his land, called a fief, to a vassal in exchange for the vassal's loyalty, military service, and a percentage of the fief's profits. The vassal would then divide the fief into smaller parcels and grant them to sub-vassals, who in turn would owe loyalty and military service to the vassal, creating a hierarchical system of land ownership and fealty. Fiefdoms were an important part of feudal society and persisted in some parts of Europe until the 18th century.