tenure
Americannoun
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the holding or possessing of anything.
the tenure of an office.
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the holding of property, especially real property, of a superior in return for services to be rendered.
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the period or term of holding something.
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status granted to an employee, usually after a probationary period, indicating that the position or employment is permanent.
verb (used with object)
noun
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the possession or holding of an office or position
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the length of time an office, position, etc, lasts; term
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the improved security status of a person after having been in the employ of the same company or institution for a specified period
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the right to permanent employment until retirement, esp for teachers, lecturers, etc
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property law
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the holding or occupying of property, esp realty, in return for services rendered, etc
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the duration of such holding or occupation
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tenure
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French; Old French teneure, from Vulgar Latin tenitura (unrecorded), equivalent to tenit(us) (unrecorded) “held” (for Latin tentus, past participle of tenēre “to hold”) + -ura -ure
Explanation
Take the noun tenure for the period of time a person holds a position or office. Your tenure as a student ends when you graduate high school — unless, of course, you go on to college. Tenure from the Latin tenere means "to hold" and refers to the period of time a person works at a particular job or in an office. A president might have to deal with a recession during his tenure in the White House. In university jargon, if you have tenure, you have a permanent teaching position or professorship. In this sense, tenure can also be used as a verb. You've got it made if you're tenured at age 29.
Vocabulary lists containing tenure
"The Declaration of Independence," Vocabulary from the historical document
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Vocabulary from the Magna Carta on its 800th Anniversary
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They blighted his two-year tenure, after he led his party to victory in 2024 elections following 14 years in opposition.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
The latter stages of McCullum's tenure have been blighted by off-field issues.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
In comparison, the average age of a American CEO is 61, with a tenure of about 7 years.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
His tenure was marked by easy money and below-market interest rates that contributed to the dot-com bust, followed by the housing bubble.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
And with what had might he had striven for tenure!
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
