commendam: Meaning and Definition of

com•men•dam

Pronunciation: (ku-men'dam), [key]
— n. Eccles.
  1. the tenure of a benefice to be held until the appointment of a regular incumbent, the benefice being said to be held in commendam.
  2. a benefice so held.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.