Was a Fief a Noble?

A lord was in broad terms a noble who held land, a vassal was a person who was granted possession of the land by the lord, and a fief was what the land was known as.

What was a fief and what was its purpose?

The fief constituted the central institution of feudal society. The fief normally consisted of land to which a number of unfree peasants were attached and was supposed to be sufficient to support the vassal and to secure his knight service for the lord. Its size varied greatly, according to the income it could provide.

What best describes a fief?

In European feudalism, a fief was a source of income granted to a person (called a vassal) by his lord in exchange for his services. The fief usually consisted of land and the labor of peasants who were bound to cultivate it.