tenor

American  

[ten-er] / ˈtɛn ər /

noun

• tenors
  plural

1. the course of thought or meaning that runs through something written or spoken; purport; drift.

   Synonyms:

   gist, substance, content, import, sense

2. continuous course, progress, or movement.

3. Rhetoric. the subject of a metaphor, as “she” in “She is a rose.”

4. Music.

   1. the adult male voice intermediate between the bass and the alto or countertenor.

   2. a part sung by or written for such a voice, especially the next to the lowest part in four-part harmony.

   3. a singer with such a voice.

   4. an instrument corresponding in compass to this voice, especially the viola.

   5. the lowest-toned bell of a peal.

5. quality, character, or condition.

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adjective

1. Music. of, relating to, or having the compass of a tenor.

tenor British  

/ ˈtɛnə /

noun

1. music

   1. the male voice intermediate between alto and baritone, having a range approximately from the B a ninth below middle C to the G a fifth above it

   2. a singer with such a voice

   3. a saxophone, horn, recorder, etc, intermediate in compass and size between the alto and baritone or bass

   4. ( as modifier )

      a tenor sax

2. general drift of thought; purpose

   to follow the tenor of an argument

3. 1. (in early polyphonic music) the part singing the melody or the cantus firmus

   2. (in four-part harmony) the second lowest part lying directly above the bass

4. Leisure:Bell-ringing

   1. the heaviest and lowest-pitched bell in a ring

   2. ( as modifier )

      a tenor bell

5. a settled course of progress

6. archaic general tendency

7. finance the time required for a bill of exchange or promissory note to become due for payment

8. law

   1. the exact words of a deed, etc, as distinct from their effect

   2. an exact copy or transcript

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tenor Cultural  

1. The highest range of the male singing voice. (Compare baritone and bass.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tenorless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tenors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of tenor

1250–1300; < Medieval Latin, Latin: course, continuity, tone, equivalent to ten ( ēre ) to hold + -or -or ¹; replacing Middle English ten ( o ) ur < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

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Explanation

Think of a tenor as a tone — in music, it's the range between baritone and alto in the human voice or in an instrument such as a tenor saxophone. It also is the "tone" or meaning of a spoken comment. The meaning of the Latin word tenere, was "to hold to a course." Then the Old French took the word tenour in the 14th Century, giving it the meaning of “sense,” or a general feeling of a comment. But that same century, the original meaning resurfaced when the word entered the musical lexicon as the Italian tenore, or tenor, the name given to the high male voice because that was the voice that carried, or “held on to” the melody.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tenor tenors

I say seemingly because I honestly couldn’t tell you what they were, but the tenor felt important.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Ultimately, no outcome this month will meaningfully change the tenor of the upcoming talks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

The gates blocking it, and the security checkpoints along its flanks, will dramatically limit the public’s desire to enter, and change the tenor and experience of a space that should feel porous and inclusive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The festival next May is being marketed as "one of the world's largest shared singing events", with tenor Bocelli appearing on the Saturday, and up to 20,000 choristers appearing on the Sunday.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

The loud speakers in the tower of the Stoke Poges Club House began, in a more titan human tenor, to announce the closing of the courses.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

In an era of great tenors McCormack alone had the superlative breath control, the honeyed sweetness and the ability to float notes at the top of the register with dulcet ease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

These include sovereign securities with tenors of more than one year and up to three years and those with tenors of more than 10 years and up to 25.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

These include tenors of more than 10 years and up to 25 years, as well as inflation-indexed bonds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026

The issuance in both currencies was distributed across multiple tenors but was most notable for the offer of GBP bonds with 100-year maturity.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026

When the choir of two-fisted tenors on the record were “proud to bear the title” Colonel Meecham entered the room slapping the swagger stick in a steady, tautological rhythm that seemed ominous, even predatory.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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Related Words

• gist
• mood
• theme
• tone

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