tenancy

American  

[ten-uhn-see] / ˈtɛn ən si /

noun

plural

tenancies

1. a holding, as of lands, by any kind of title; occupancy of land, a house, or the like, under a lease or on payment of rent; tenure.

2. the period of a tenant's occupancy.

3. occupancy or enjoyment of a position, post, situation, etc..

   her tenancy as professor of history at the state university.

4. Archaic. a piece of land held by a tenant; holding.

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tenancy British  

/ ˈtɛnənsɪ /

noun

1. the temporary possession or holding by a tenant of lands or property owned by another

2. the period of holding or occupying such property

3. the period of holding office, a position, etc

4. property held or occupied by a tenant

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Etymology

Origin of tenancy

First recorded in 1570–80; ten(ant) + -ancy; compare Medieval Latin tenantia, variant of tenentia

Example Sentences

He eventually got a private tenancy, but was unable to keep up with the cost of the rent, which led to him becoming homeless again.

From BBC

Under succession rules in England and Wales, a council tenancy can only be passed on once.

From BBC

“However, community property can be changed to a tenancy in common via divorce proceedings to allow each co-owner the ability to transfer their shares to heirs.”

From MarketWatch

The report says the current condition of Royal Lodge is "not out of keeping with a tenancy of this duration", but the cost of repairing "dilapidations" meant any payback was unlikely.

From BBC

Undergraduates still settling into university life have to quickly commit to a joint tenancy with fellow freshers they barely know to guarantee a roof over their head the following September.

From BBC