A freeholder; in 14–15th centuries the designation of a class of landowners, of free but not noble birth, and ranking next below the gentry.

Formerly often misused for feoffee, n.

One who possesses freehold lands.

A person who is entitled to or enjoys a liferent. Cf. fiar, n.

The person to whom a freehold estate in land is conveyed by a feoffment.

The owner of a piece of freehold land in the purlieu of a forest; spec. such a person licensed to hunt within the purlieu (see quot. 1607).

(a) One who holds land by charter; a freeholder. (b) A freeman of a chartered borough.

The owner of the fee-simple of a property, as opposed to the life-renter. conjunct fiar (see quot. 1597).

A freeholder within the forest. (A sense invented by Manwood to account for swanimote, n.)

a person who holds a life tenancy (cf. life holder n.); also in extended use.

= life tenant n.

one who holds a fief from a superior.

In form commonholder. In England and Wales: a person owning commonhold tenure of a flat or unit in a multi-occupancy building. Cf. commonhold, n.