tenet

[ ten-it; British also tee-nit ]

See synonyms for: tenet tenets on Thesaurus.com

noun

any opinion, principle, doctrine, dogma, etc., especially one held as true by members of a profession, group, or movement.

Origin of tenet

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin: “he holds,” 1st person singular present indicative of tenēre “to hold”; cf. tenant

pronunciation note For tenet

The word tenet, defined here, should not be hard to pronounce. For speakers of American English, say the number ten, then add the pronoun it, and you have tenet, pronounced (tenit). Unfortunately, there is a similar-looking and similar-sounding word in English that is much more common—the word tenant, meaning someone who rents and occupies an apartment, office, etc. This word is pronounced (tenənt), and its pronunciation is frequently used in error by people who intend to say tenet. Because both words involve sequences of the same letters t and n —both of which are pronounced with the tongue in the same place, touching the upper palate—it is easy for the extra n of the more common word tenant to creep into the pronunciation of tenet. With care, one can learn to pronounce these two words differently and appropriately.

Other words for tenet

belief, position

See synonyms for tenet on Thesaurus.com

Words that may be confused with tenet

tenant, tenet

Words Nearby tenet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tenet in a sentence

There, I think our guiding tenet is always to get the expert help in those settings and I think even though you’re sharing it as a companion there’s a huge responsibility for the AI at that point.
AI Reads Human Emotions. Should it? | Tate Ryan-Mosley | October 14, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
Familiarize yourself with the core tenets of Agile as it’s been used successfully by tech and development teams for years.
The agile marketer: Building agility with technology and talent | Jim Yu | October 13, 2020 | Search Engine Watch
One of the tenets of that is to address disinformation or bad information with facts and what’s actually going on.
Mobilizing the National Guard Doesn’t Mean Your State Is Under Martial Law. Usually. | by Logan Jaffe | September 17, 2020 | ProPublica
A core tenet of good urban design is the need for “eyes on the street” — business owners, passers-by and residents who have a vested interest in keeping their streets safe and monitoring suspicious activity.
Myths and Shame Shouldn’t Guide Cannabis Regulations | John Bertsch | September 8, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
Some were talking about Q, repeating and promoting the core tenets of the conspiracy theory.
Evangelicals are looking for answers online. They’re finding QAnon instead. | Abby Ohlheiser | August 26, 2020 | MIT Technology Review

Charter schools, rejecting the tenet of promotion through seniority, promised to do better.
Your Local School Doesn’t Have to Suck | Michael S. Roth | December 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The court will not “inquire into the validity of a religious tenet.”
Why Can’t the FDA Fix Outdated Birth Control Labels? | Tiffany Stanley | March 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
We might call this a central tenet of the right, although the word tenet dignifies it too much.
The Accidental Truth in the RNC’s Latest Race Gaffe | Michael Tomasky | December 3, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Second, the decision goes against a basic tenet of academia: judgment of an argument should be based on its merit alone.
The Real Problems with Israel's Newest University | Ron Mandelbaum | July 20, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Shortly before Sept. 11, then–CIA director George tenet said it would be “a terrible mistake” to use a weapon like the Predator.
Buy Your Own Drone! Now Only $300 Online | Clive Stafford-Smith | April 28, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Mastrius (loco jam citato) tenet inseminationem esse necessariam.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine | Austin Malley
Pleasure they regarded as an evil, having a tendency to enchain man to earthly enjoyments, a peculiarly Buddhist tenet.
Ancient Faiths And Modern | Thomas Inman
Of this doctrine, considered as a philosophical tenet, we shall have occasion to speak more fully in the concluding Book.
A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive | John Stuart Mill
For three generations at least this tenet in favour of long noses had gradually been taking root in our family.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman | Laurence Sterne
Then, in his own pleasant parlour, he engaged in fervent discourse on his favourite tenet of Christian assurance.
Recollections of a Long Life | John Stoughton

British Dictionary definitions for tenet

tenet

/ (ˈtɛnɪt, ˈtiːnɪt) /

noun

a belief, opinion, or dogma

Origin of tenet

C17: from Latin, literally: he (it) holds, from tenēre to hold

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

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