plural duchies
1
: the territory of a duke or duchess : dukedom
2
: special domain

Examples of duchy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The duchy is a private estate owned by the British royal family, and was established by King Edward III in 1337 as a means to provide income for the heir to the throne. Janine Henni, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025 Eleanor Roosevelt, who had viewed Mesta’s appointment with disfavor, dropped into the duchy and changed her mind after seeing her in action. Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025 The couple later rented nearby Windsor Cottage (no relation to the duchy), which was purchased by the hotel and moved on site in 1990 and now houses the members-only Ocean Club. Ingrid Schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2024 Leave a comment View Comments The bulk of that income is generated from a portfolio of land, property and other assets, called the Duchy of Lancaster, worth about £648 million ($811 million), according to the duchy’s accounts for the last financial year. Anna Cooban, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for duchy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English duche, from Anglo-French duché, from duc

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of duchy was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Duchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duchy. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

duchy

noun
plural duchies
: the territory of a duke or duchess

More from Merriam-Webster on duchy

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