a. and sb. [ad. med.L. commendātāri-us (in same senses), f. ppl. stem commendāt-: see COMMENDATE and -ARY.]

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  A.  adj. = COMMENDATORY (sense 2).

2

1611.  Cotgr., Commendataire, commendatarie; giuen in, enioyed, or inioying by, Commendum.

3

1751.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Commendam. The commendatary abbots.

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  B.  sb. a. Eccl. A commendator. b. gen. One put in charge, a commissioner.

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1539.  in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford, 155. Robert Kinge, abbat and commendatary of Osney.

6

1706.  trans. Dupin’s Eccl. Hist. 16th C., II. v. 77. Commendataries were as it were Tutors and Curators of Monasteries.

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1852.  Th. Ross, trans. Humboldt’s Trav., II. xvi. 31. In those times of oppression and cruelty … the Commendataries (encomenderos) let out the Indians to travellers like beasts of burden.

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