tenacity
Americannoun
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the quality of being tenacious, or of holding fast; persistence.
the amazing tenacity of rumors.
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the quality of retaining something.
the tenacity of memory.
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the quality or property of holding together firmly.
testing the tenacity of the old book's binding.
Synonym Usage
See perseverance.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tenacity
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin tenācitās equivalent to tenāc- (stem of tenāx ) “holding fast,” derivative of tenēre “to hold” + -itās -ity ( def. )
Explanation
Most people will tell you that tenacity is a great quality to have, especially if you're trying something challenging that takes a while to complete. Odds are, the people you admire have shown real tenacity in achieving their goals. Anything really worth doing takes persistence, perseverance, and stubborn determination. Being a great baseball player requires real gifts, no doubt, but even the most gifted player won't make it to the big leagues without the tenacity required to make the long, hard journey up from the minors. Tenacity is the quality displayed by someone who just won't quit — who keeps trying until they reach their goal.
Vocabulary lists containing tenacity
100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
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The Bluest Eye
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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.
Like any group of people, the Somali immigrant community contains good and bad people in it, but on the whole, their very existence is a testament to human tenacity.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
"She is always so eager to go towards goal. She has that tenacity in her," said the England boss when asked about Stanway's goalscoring form.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
“His tenacity, his drive, his zeal, his adventure for life. He’s just Naya in boy form,” Previtire said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
“It takes a lot of imagination, belief, resilience and tenacity to do this when you’re going against conventional wisdom,” Evans said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Bobby was supremely obstinate, and although he could not really justify his decision to play, under the circumstances his tenacity, heart, and pocketbook prevailed.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
