liege

/lidʒ/

/lidʒ/

Other forms: lieges

Since modern populations often ignore aristocracy (except in the case of tabloid coverage), many words once used for royalty are now unusual and obscure. Such is the case with liege. If you refer to someone as "my liege" you are probably playing a game.

Ah, the Medieval era, where we find the word liege as we know it, a term used by underlings for the lord of their land. The word was probably of Germanic origin, derived from the Medieval Latin laeticus. In an interesting etymological twist, the word at one time meant a leader of a band of free men — pretty much the opposite of its eventual meaning as a feudal lord. The word is not used much today, except in jest (see Python, Monty).

Definitions of liege

1. noun

   a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service
   synonyms: liege lord

   type of:

   feudal lord, seigneur, seignior

   a man of rank in the ancient regime
2. noun

   a person holding a fief; a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord
   synonyms: feudatory, liege subject, liegeman, vassal

   type of:

   follower

   a person who accepts the leadership of another
3. adjective

   owing or owed feudal allegiance and service
   “one's liege lord”

   “a liege subject”

   synonyms:

   loyal

   steadfast in allegiance or duty