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

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

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

After Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Wednesday the Treasury would be doubling its buybacks of government bonds in the 10-30 year tenor, the gold price ripped 3% to the $4,550 an ounce level.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

A lot of this debt is in longer duration assets that may compete with government paper of a similar tenor, say analysts.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

Carney’s unique tenor ranges from Jeff Buckley to Freddie Mercury; his rock background and skill with the guitar is required for Orpheus’ lyre-playing and lends to the folk roots of Mitchell’s songs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

You can see it in the facial expressions of our political leaders and hear it in the tenor and tone of their voices.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

It makes me miss the tenor of Maman's voice and the perfume of her skin and how her arms made me feel like I'd never fall.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

These consist of sovereign securities with tenors of more than three years and up to five years, those with tenors of more than 10 years and up to 25 years, and inflation-indexed bonds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 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

Sovereign issuers like Argentina and Austria have also tapped the market at these tenors.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026

The BOJ is scheduled to make outright purchases today of four sectors of the market such as sovereign securities with tenors of more than 25 years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026

"So did my brother, the day before his death. The night is dark and full of tenors, Davos."

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• gist
• mood
• theme
• tone