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Droit du seigneur (/ˈdrɑː də seɪˈnjɜːr/; [dʁwa dy sɛɲœʁ]) ("lord's right"), also known as ius primae noctis (/ʒʌs ˈpraɪmiː ˈnɒktᵻs/; [ju:s ˈpri:mae̯ 'nɔktɪs]) ("right of the first night"), refers to a supposed legal right in medieval Europe, and elsewhere, allowing feudal lords to have sexual relations with subordinate women (the "wedding night" detail is specific to some variants). There is no evidence of the right being exercised in medieval Europe, and all known references to it are from later time periods.
Terminology
The French expression droit du seigneur translates as "right of the lord", but native French prefer the terms droit de jambage (French pronunciation: [dʁwa d(ə) ʒɑ̃.baʒ]) ("right of the leg") or droit de cuissage (French pronunciation: [dʁwa d(ə) kɥi.saʒ]) ("right of the thigh").
The term is often used synonymously with jus primae noctis, Latin for "right of the first night".