clientship
(ˈklaɪənt-ʃɪp)
[see -ship.]
State or relation of a client: the correlative of patronage.
| 1649 C. Walker Hist. Indep. ii. 145 Their Nomenclators, their Prehensations, Invitations, Clientships. 1697 Dryden Virgil Ded., Patronage and Clientship always descended from the Fathers to the Sons. 1878 Seeley Stein I. 208 A number of middle States..were attached to France in a condition of clientship. |