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

Papperger, reflecting on his long tenure at the company, told investors that seeing such figures was like “a wonder world.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Supporters began calling him Batman, in English, when crime rates dropped precipitously in Mexico City during his tenure as police chief.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Nuzzi did not want to discuss Kennedy’s tenure as secretary of health and human services,” Jacob Bernstein reports in the Times profile, while Nuzzi says, “I don’t have any interest in offering punditry.”

Read more on Salon

Only two of the 20 coaches currently in the Premier League have tenures longer than five years, while 13 have been in their jobs for less than two.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

What is your view on Pope Leo’s tenure so far?

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Related Words

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