/en koh'mee en"deuh, -kom'ee-/ ; Sp. /eng'kaw myen"dah/ , n. , pl. encomiendas /-deuhz/ ; Sp. /-dahs/ . (formerly in Spanish America)
1. the system, instituted in 1503, under which a Spanish soldier or colonist was granted a tract of land or a village together with its Indian inhabitants.
2. the land or village together with its inhabitants.
[ 1800-10; 1 , COMMEND ]