bailiwick

UK: /ˈbeɪlɪwɪk/ US: /ˈbeɪləˌwɪk/ ,(bā′lə wik′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

bail•i•wick /ˈbeɪləˌwɪk/   n. [countable]

1. Government, Scottish Terms the district of a bailiff.
2. a person's area of skill, knowledge, or authority:
   Helping people get justice is his bailiwick.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

bail•i•wick  (bā′lə wik′), n. 

1. Government, Scottish Terms the district within which a bailie or bailiff has jurisdiction.
2. a person's area of skill, knowledge, authority, or work:
   to confine suggestions to one's own bailiwick.

• late Middle English, equivalent. to baili- bailie + wick wick³ 1425–75

Synonyms

• 2. domain, department, sphere, territory, turf.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

bailiwick / ˈbeɪlɪwɪk/ noun

1. the area over which a bailiff has jurisdiction
2. a person's special field of interest, authority, or skill

Etymology: 15th Century: from baili(e) + wick²