tenant

[ ten-uh nt ]

/ ˈtɛn ənt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tenant ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person or group that rents and occupies land, a house, an office, or the like, from another for a period of time; lessee.

Law. a person who holds or possesses for a time lands, tenements, or personalty of another, usually for rent.

an occupant or inhabitant of any place.

verb (used with object)

to hold or occupy as a tenant; dwell in; inhabit.

verb (used without object)

to dwell or live (usually followed by in).

Nearby words

tenaille, tenaim, tenalgia, tenancy, tenancy in common, tenant, tenant farmer, tenant farming, tenant in chief, tenant in common, tenant-in-chief

Origin of tenant

1250–1300; Middle English tena(u)nt < Anglo-French; Middle French tenant, noun use of present participle of tenir to hold ≪ Latin tenēre. See -ant

Related forms

ten·ant·a·ble, adjectiveten·ant·less, adjectiveten·ant·like, adjectivenon·ten·ant, noun

non·ten·ant·a·ble, adjectiveun·ten·ant·a·ble, adjectiveun·ten·ant·ed, adjective

Can be confused

tenant tenet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tenant

But the law itself is hard to enforce unless there is a specific complaint about a tenant.
Inside Uber’s Political War Machine|Olivia Nuzzi|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Phineas has just suffered the defeat of his bill to strengthen the rights of Irish tenant farmers.
The Case for Trollope|David Frum|February 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It occurs after Phineas has just suffered the defeat of his bill to improve the condition of Irish tenant farmers.
Trollope v Hardy|David Frum|January 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He said to police, the tenant's "face could have run into my hand."
Rift Imperils Ground Zero Mosque|Asra Q. Nomani|August 30, 2010|DAILY BEAST

In another instance, Sharif told a court he didn't hit a tenant from whom his brother and he were trying to collect back rent.
Rift Imperils Ground Zero Mosque|Asra Q. Nomani|August 30, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The proprietor, tenant or occupier who permits a place to be used for an infringing performance shall be deemed an infringer.
Copyright: Its History and Its Law|Richard Rogers Bowker
"That's a dangerous feller," Glaubmann said as his tenant banged the street door behind him.
Elkan Lubliner, American|Montague Glass
Tenant put forth all his horsemanship to avoid the interview.
The Life of Benjamin Franklin|Mason Locke Weems
He considered soberly as to the probable owner of the house and whether he would be allowed to remain its tenant.
The Copy-Cat and Other Stories|Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
The Hugheses, father and son, stared at Tenant Jones in horror.
The Return|H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire

British Dictionary definitions for tenant

tenant

/ (ˈtɛnənt) /

noun

a person who holds, occupies, or possesses land or property by any kind of right or title, esp from a landlord under a lease

a person who has the use of a house, flat, etc, subject to the payment of rent

any holder or occupant

verb

(tr) to hold (land or property) as a tenant

(intr foll by in) rare to dwell

Derived Forms

tenantable, adjectivetenantless, adjectivetenant-like, adjective

Word Origin for tenant

C14: from Old French, literally: (one who is) holding, from tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre

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

tenant

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of tenant

Related forms

Can be confused

Examples from the Web for tenant

British Dictionary definitions for tenant

tenant

noun

verb

Derived Forms

Word Origin for tenant