tenure

American  

[ten-yer] / ˈtɛn yər /

noun

1. the holding or possessing of anything.

   the tenure of an office.

2. the holding of property, especially real property, of a superior in return for services to be rendered.

3. the period or term of holding something.

4. status granted to an employee, usually after a probationary period, indicating that the position or employment is permanent.

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verb (used with object)

1. to give tenure to.

   After she served three years on probation, the committee tenured her.

tenure British  

/ ˈtɛnjə, ˈtɛnjʊə /

noun

1. the possession or holding of an office or position

2. the length of time an office, position, etc, lasts; term

3. the improved security status of a person after having been in the employ of the same company or institution for a specified period

4. the right to permanent employment until retirement, esp for teachers, lecturers, etc

5. property law

   1. the holding or occupying of property, esp realty, in return for services rendered, etc

   2. the duration of such holding or occupation

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Other Word Forms

• nontenurial
  adjective
• nontenurially
  adverb
• tenurial
  adjective
• tenurially
  adverb
• undertenure
  noun

Etymology

Origin of tenure

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French; Old French teneure, from Vulgar Latin tenitura (unrecorded), equivalent to tenit(us) (unrecorded) “held” (for Latin tentus, past participle of tenēre “to hold”) + -ura -ure

Explanation

Take the noun tenure for the period of time a person holds a position or office. Your tenure as a student ends when you graduate high school — unless, of course, you go on to college. Tenure from the Latin tenere means "to hold" and refers to the period of time a person works at a particular job or in an office. A president might have to deal with a recession during his tenure in the White House. In university jargon, if you have tenure, you have a permanent teaching position or professorship. In this sense, tenure can also be used as a verb. You've got it made if you're tenured at age 29.

Example Sentences

Tenure “reformers” typically describe their goals as depriving undeserving layabouts of an unwarranted privilege.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2023

Tenure exploded after World War II when it helped with recruitment as the GI Bill sent enrollment soaring, said Sol Gittleman, a former provost of Tufts University who has written on the issue.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 8, 2023

The writers are members of Tenure for the Common Good.

From Washington Post • Dec. 23, 2022

Tenure: Since taking office in early 2021, Draghi has led the country out of the worst days of the Covid pandemic and helped to shake Italy out of its political and economic malaise.

From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2022

Tenure by barony appears to have been recognised by the house of lords in the reign of Henry VI., when the earldom of Arundel was claimed as annexed to the "castle, honour, and lordship aforesaid."

From View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages, Vol. 3 by Hallam, Henry

Related Words

• administration
• occupation
• ownership
• regime
• reign
• term