Fee-simple


noun
1.
See under (def 4a).
[fee] /fi/
noun
1.
a charge or payment for professional services:
a doctor’s fee.
2.
a sum paid or charged for a privilege:
an admission fee.
3.
a charge allowed by law for the service of a public officer.
4.
Law.

5.
a gratuity; tip.
verb (used with object), feed, feeing.
6.
to give a fee to.
7.
Chiefly Scot. to hire; employ.
/fiː/
noun
1.
a payment asked by professional people or public servants for their services: a doctor’s fee, school fees
2.
a charge made for a privilege: an entrance fee
3.
(property law)

4.
(in feudal Europe) the land granted by a lord to his vassal
5.
an obsolete word for a gratuity
6.
in fee

verb fees, feeing, feed
7.
(rare) to give a fee to
8.
(mainly Scot) to hire for a fee
noun
1.
(property law) an absolute interest in land over which the holder has complete freedom of disposition during his life Compare fee tail
n.

late 13c., from Old French fieu, fief “fief, possession, holding, domain; feudal duties, payment,” from Medieval Latin feodum “land or other property whose use is granted in return for service,” widely said to be from Frankish *fehu-od “payment-estate,” or a similar Germanic compound, in which the first element is cognate with Old English feoh “money, movable property, cattle” (also German Vieh “cattle,” Gothic faihu “money, fortune”), from PIE *peku- “cattle” (cf. Sanskrit pasu, Lithuanian pekus “cattle;” Latin pecu “cattle,” pecunia “money, property”); second element similar to Old English ead “wealth.”

OED rejects this, and suggests a simple adaptation of Germanic fehu, leaving the Medieval Latin -d- unexplained. Sense of “payment for services” first recorded late 14c. Fee-simple is “absolute ownership,” as opposed to fee-tail “entailed ownership,” inheritance limited to some particular class of heirs (second element from Old French taillir “to cut, to limit”).

Read Also:

  • Fee-splitting

    [fee-split-ing] /ˈfiˌsplɪt ɪŋ/ noun 1. the practice of dividing a fee for professional services between two professional persons, as between a referring doctor and a specialist, without the knowledge of the client.

  • Feet

    [feet] /fit/ noun 1. a plural of . Idioms 2. drag one’s feet, to act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant to act, comply, etc.: We can’t begin the project until the steering committee stops dragging its feet. 3. land / fall on one’s feet, to be lucky or successful, especially after […]

  • Fee-tail

    noun 1. See under (def 4a). [fee] /fi/ noun 1. a charge or payment for professional services: a doctor’s fee. 2. a sum paid or charged for a privilege: an admission fee. 3. a charge allowed by law for the service of a public officer. 4. Law. 5. a gratuity; tip. verb (used with object), […]

  • Feetfirst

    [feet-furst] /ˈfitˈfɜrst/ adverb 1. with the foremost. 2. Slang. on a stretcher or in a coffin; dead. adverb with the feet foremost

  • Feet-of-clay

    noun 1. a weakness or hidden flaw in the character of a greatly admired or respected person: He was disillusioned to find that even Lincoln had feet of clay. 2. any unexpected or critical fault. People are said to have “feet of clay” if they are revealed to have a weakness or flaw that most […]


Disclaimer: Fee-simple definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.