a fixed charge for a privilege or for professional services
"The lawyer told me there would be an additional filing fee before my case could proceed to court."
an interest in land capable of being inherited
"The old baron was so concerned about preserving his fee that he refused to sell any part of the estate, even though it meant leaving his family a fortune they might not know how to manage."
A right to the use of a superior's land, as a stipend for services to be performed; also, the land so held; a fief.
"The knight pledged his loyalty in exchange for the fee granted by the king, which included both the annual payment and the surrounding fields he was allowed to cultivate."
In plain English: A fee is a specific amount of money you pay to someone for a service they provide.
"The school charged a small fee for graduation photos."
Usage: In modern usage, a fee refers to a payment or charge required for a specific service or privilege, such as a legal consultation or gym membership. Do not confuse this everyday meaning with the historical definition of land held from a superior in exchange for services.
To reward for services performed, or to be performed; to recompense; to hire or keep in hire; hence, to bribe.
"The corrupt official was caught accepting a hefty fee from the contractor to overlook safety violations on the new bridge project."
In plain English: To fee means to charge someone money for a service, though this is an old and rarely used word compared to simply saying "charge."
"I cannot pay the fee for that service."
Usage: As a verb, fee means to pay someone money for their services or labor. You would use this word when describing the act of hiring or compensating an employee rather than receiving payment.
The word fee comes from Old English feoh, which originally meant cattle or property. Its meaning shifted to refer specifically to a payment or land grant after contact with the French word fief.