tenancy

American  

[ten-uhn-see] / ˈtɛn ən si /

noun

tenancies plural

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

Explanation

Tenancy is the act of living somewhere, especially in a house, building, or apartment. You could say, for example, that your tenancy in the little white farmhouse lasted for six years, until you moved to the city. The noun tenancy means a period of living in a certain place or having a business in a specific building. If you give up your tenancy, you move to a new place, and if your tenancy ends earlier than you expected, you may owe your landlord some money. The word tenancy is closely related to tenant, with its earliest meaning of "one who holds land," from a Latin root — tenere, "to keep" or "to hold."

Example Sentences

As rising data usage spurs operators to roll out more 5G sites, Indus Towers could enjoy higher tenancy ratios.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

This might be a program where a renter stays for an agreed number of years in return for a lump sum at the end of the tenancy that can be put toward a down payment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

People with knowledge of crofting and skills as an electrician, joiner or working with boats are among those being sought for the tenancy.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Renters are paying an average of at least £1,000 a month for a new tenancy in more than half of British neighbourhoods, according to data shared with the BBC.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

In all the years of our tenancy we never saw the Zemindar who owned our land.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya