What does apanage mean?
An apanage is a provision — originally a grant of land or revenue — bestowed on a member of a ruling family, typically a younger son who would not inherit the throne, so that he could maintain a suitable station in life. The term derives from the French apanage, built on the medieval Latin words meaning 'to provide bread for,' underscoring its purpose as maintenance rather than sovereignty. Historically associated especially with the French monarchy, where apanages shaped the distribution of princely power for centuries, the word has also developed a figurative sense: any privilege, benefit, or entitlement regarded as naturally attached to a particular office, rank, or condition — the 'apanages' of success or seniority. Formal and relatively rare in everyday speech, apanage lends an air of historical weight to writing about aristocracy, inheritance, and institutional privilege, though readers may more often encounter its variant spelling, appanage.
nounA grant of land or revenue made to a younger member of a royal family, especially in France, to provide an independent income; by extension, any customary entitlement or privilege attached to a position or status.
- A grant of land or revenue given to a member of a ruling family, especially a younger son, as a source of income.
- By extension, any privilege, benefit, or entitlement naturally accompanying a particular rank, office, or situation.
"The duke's apanage of Burgundy made him one of the most powerful princes in Europe."
"Under the Capetian kings, each younger son received an apanage carved from the royal domains."
"For many executives, a corner office is considered part of the apanage of seniority."
Regular plural; commonly used in the plural when speaking of privileges or perquisites in general.
"The apanages of high office include both prestige and scrutiny."
The word 'apanage' literally means 'for bread' — it was the allowance that kept royal spare heirs fed and funded without giving them the throne.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apanage
Apanage comes from the French apanage, formed from the verb apanager, 'to endow with means of subsistence,' which traces back to medieval Latin appanare, literally 'to furnish with bread,' from panem, 'bread.' It entered English in the early seventeenth century, initially referring specifically to grants made to younger sons of French kings. It thus shares its bread-root with words such as companion (one who shares bread) and pantry.
How apanage is actually used
Formal and somewhat rare; chiefly historical when referring to royal land grants, but the extended figurative sense ('the perquisites of a position') appears in literary and journalistic prose. The spelling 'appanage' is more frequent in modern English usage.
Easily confused with apanage
Appanage is the more common spelling of the same word; apanage is simply a variant form with no difference in meaning.