tenure

[ten-yer]

noun

1. the holding or possessing of anything.

   the tenure of an office.

2. the holding of property, especially real property, of a superior in return for services to be rendered.

3. the period or term of holding something.

4. status granted to an employee, usually after a probationary period, indicating that the position or employment is permanent.

verb (used with object)

1. to give tenure to.

   After she served three years on probation, the committee tenured her.

tenure

/ ˈtɛnjə, ˈtɛnjʊə /

noun

1. the possession or holding of an office or position

2. the length of time an office, position, etc, lasts; term

3. the improved security status of a person after having been in the employ of the same company or institution for a specified period

4. the right to permanent employment until retirement, esp for teachers, lecturers, etc

5. property law

   1. the holding or occupying of property, esp realty, in return for services rendered, etc

   2. the duration of such holding or occupation

Other Word Forms

• tenurial adjective
• tenurially adverb
• nontenurial adjective
• nontenurially adverb
• undertenure noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenure¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenure¹

C15: from Old French, from Medieval Latin tenitūra, ultimately from Latin tenēre to hold

Example Sentences

But, in what is about to become a record-breaking tenure, he is determined to banish the memory of the 3-1 Hampden defeat that ended hopes of a place in Qatar.

Read more on BBC

The reception from supporters to Martin's appointment was frosty at best and he failed to win them over at any stage of his tortured 123-day tenure.

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Increasing the urgency, Halligan faces a ticking clock on her tenure—and arguments that she isn’t legally allowed to serve in the role at all.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Erroll Southers confirmed his plans to resign through a spokesperson on Friday, ending a stormy two-year tenure on the influential civilian panel that watches over the LAPD.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Anthony Kennedy’s memoir looks back on his life and his tenure on the Supreme Court.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• administration 
• occupation 
• ownership 
• regime 
• reign 
• term