tenancy

[ten-uh n-see]

See more synonyms for tenancy on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ten·an·cies.

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.
the period of a tenant's occupancy.
occupancy or enjoyment of a position, post, situation, etc.: her tenancy as professor of history at the state university.

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

Origin of tenancy

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for tenancy

possession, holding, ownership, occupancy, occupation

Examples from the Web for tenancy

Contemporary Examples of tenancy

A California family is struggling to evict their now-fired live-in nanny—and tenancy laws are on her side.
When Mrs. Doubtfire Won’t Leave
Keli Goff
June 28, 2014

Historical Examples of tenancy

Tenancy at a fixed rental is preferred, as less complicated and troublesome.
The Roof of France
Matilda Betham-Edwards
It was the last day of his tenancy of the clergy-house, and there was much to do at Soho.
The Christian
Hall Caine
If there were only a few more rooms like this, I 'd dispute the tenancy with you.
The Bramleighs Of Bishop's Folly
Charles James Lever
How long it had been in Davis's tenancy is not certain, but he died in 1791.
The Book-Hunter in London
William Roberts
The ground lost in no wise endangered the German tenancy of their line.
The Story of the Great War, Volume I (of 8)
Various

British Dictionary definitions for tenancy

tenancy

noun plural -cies

the temporary possession or holding by a tenant of lands or property owned by another
the period of holding or occupying such property
the period of holding office, a position, etc
property held or occupied by a tenant

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