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tenured

American  
[ten-yerd] / ˈtɛn jərd /

adjective

  1. of, having, or eligible for tenure, especially in a college or university.

    There are three tenured professors in the history department.

  2. granting, allowing, or leading to tenure.

    None of the advertised jobs is a tenured position.


tenured British  
/ ˈtɛnjʊəd, ˈtɛnjəd /

adjective

    1. having tenure of office

      a tenured professor

    2. guaranteeing tenure of office

      a tenured post

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tenured

First recorded in 1960–65; tenure + -ed 3

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.

See Examples For:

The result was a perennial contender led by a man whose 6.5 years in charge make him the longest tenured manager in England’s top division.

From The Wall Street Journal May 29, 2026

It was a huge promotion, even for such a tenured executive.

From The Wall Street Journal May 25, 2026

Guthrie is the second-longest tenured member of the program’s current on-air crew after weather forecaster Al Roker.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 6, 2026

The school may, for example, begin allowing tenured professors to take longer leaves to work on companies.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 4, 2026

Then there were lecturers, then there were assistant professors, then there were tenured professors.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

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