intendance: Meaning and Definition of

in•tend•ance

Pronunciation: (in-ten'duns), [key]
— n.
  1. an administrative department, esp. one in the government system introduced by the French statesman Richelieu during the 17th century, or the officials in charge of it.
  2. the official quarters of an intendant.
  3. the function of an intendant; superintendence; intendancy.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.