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definitions

tenacity

[ tuh-nas-i-tee ]
/ təˈnæs ɪ ti /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tenacity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the quality of being tenacious, or of holding fast; persistence: the amazing tenacity of rumors.
the quality of retaining something: the tenacity of memory.
the quality or property of holding together firmly: testing the tenacity of the old book's binding.

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RELATED WORDS

perseverance, spunk, chutzpah, grit, guts, courage, determination, firmness, steadfastness, persistence, resoluteness, nerve, resolve, stomach, intransigence, heart, pertinacity, backbone, obstinacy, application

Nearby words

  1. tena koutou,
  2. tenable,
  3. tenace,
  4. tenacious,
  5. tenaciously,
  6. tenaculum,
  7. tenaculum forceps,
  8. tenafly,
  9. tenaille,
  10. tenaim

Origin of tenacity

1520–30; < Latin tenācitās equivalent to tenāc- (stem of tenāx) holding fast, derivative of tenēre to hold + -itās -ity2
Related formso·ver·te·nac·i·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tenacity

Word Origin and History for tenacity

tenacity

n.

early 15c., from Middle French ténacité (14c.), from Latin tenacitas "the act of holding fast," from tenax (genitive tenacis) "tough, holding fast," from tenere "to hold" (see tenet).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper