tenant
Americannoun
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a person or group that rents and occupies land, a house, an office, or the like, from another for a period of time; lessee.
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Law. a person who holds or possesses for a time lands, tenements, or personalty of another, usually for rent.
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an occupant or inhabitant of any place.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a person who holds, occupies, or possesses land or property by any kind of right or title, esp from a landlord under a lease
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a person who has the use of a house, flat, etc, subject to the payment of rent
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any holder or occupant
verb
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(tr) to hold (land or property) as a tenant
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rare to dwell
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of tenant
1250–1300; Middle English tena ( u ) nt < Anglo-French; Middle French tenant, noun use of present participle of tenir to hold ≪ Latin tenēre. See -ant
Explanation
A tenant is someone who lives in a place owned by someone else, usually paying rent. If you blast your music and let the cat pee in the corner, your landlord will not think that you're a very good tenant. Tenant is often used to mean "renter," but it can mean anyone who has the right to live in a particular place, either because he signed a lease, which is a rental agreement, because he owns the land, or because government gave him a title to it. If you live in a big apartment building, you should be aware of your rights as a tenant, which usually include things like having heat in the winter and proper fire escapes.
Vocabulary lists containing tenant
"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another prospective tenant claimed building managers flagged to him the issue on the day of the failed move-in.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Satchit Warade and another tenant, who asked for her name to be withheld, said they were rushed into the viewing with the agent saying they had 45 minutes to get there.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
However, if a tenant is late or misses a payment, it shows up as “no data available” on a credit report, which Dempsey said lenders and future landlords can draw negative inferences from.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Among Hackman properties is Culver Steps, a popular office and retail complex where Erewhon is an anchor tenant and attraction for visitors who linger in the center’s outdoor spaces.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
In the meantime Minnie would ready the Wrightwood flat for whatever tenant happened to rent it next.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
