Seignior
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A feudal lord; a nobleman who held his lands by feudal grant; any lord (holder) of a manor. historical
"Louis XIV’s minions tried to bend New France’s increasingly aboriginal society to his will. […] In the St. Lawrence Valley almost all arable land not reserved for the Church was divided among well-born gentlemen to enable them to become landed aristocrats, or seigniors."
- 2 a man of rank in the ancient regime wordnet
- 3 A title of respect, formerly corresponding (especially in France) approximately to Sir.
Example
More examples"Louis XIV’s minions tried to bend New France’s increasingly aboriginal society to his will. […] In the St. Lawrence Valley almost all arable land not reserved for the Church was divided among well-born gentlemen to enable them to become landed aristocrats, or seigniors."
Etymology
From Middle English senyour, from Old French seignor, seignior, from Latin senior, seniōrem. Doublet of seigneur, senhor, senior, señor, senyor, signore, sir, and sire.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.