tenure

American  

[ten-yer] / ˈtɛn jər /

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

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

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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

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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

See Examples For:

tenure

But Arbeloa's tenure in English football has so far been disappointing, although his side have reached the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, with their home tie against Crystal Palace taking place this month.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Early on in his tenure, the CEO had half-jokingly called out a top manager for wearing hiking boots to a presentation, according to someone familiar with the incident.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The opening days of Zacharia’s tenure have been defined by questions over claims she has made about her background.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

A year after Rebecca Tinucci took the helm of Uber Freight, her tenure is showing some signs of success, even as the division remains unprofitable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Secretary LaHood, who in his four-and-a-half-year tenure as the nation’s chief transportation authority, came across many harrowing tales and difficult safety issues.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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Related Words

• administration
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• ownership
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