tenured

American

[ten-yerd] / ˈtɛn yərd /

adjective

of, having, or eligible for tenure, especially in a college or university.

There are three tenured professors in the history department.
granting, allowing, or leading to tenure.

None of the advertised jobs is a tenured position.

tenured British

/ ˈtɛnjʊəd, ˈtɛnjəd /

adjective

1. having tenure of office
  
  a tenured professor
2. guaranteeing tenure of office
  
  a tenured post

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tenured

First recorded in 1960–65; tenure + -ed ³

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.

As a tenured professor at the University of Maryland, he studied cancer, HIV and other infectious diseases.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Guthrie is the second-longest tenured member of the program’s current on-air crew after weather forecaster Al Roker.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Not having that visibility can matter when it comes to achievements like being offered a tenured position — the height of stability in academia.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026

Minter's hiring comes 16 days after the ravens fired John Harbaugh, the 63-year-old who was the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL after 18 seasons in Baltimore.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

It was sometimes difficult to believe that Dr. Roland was a tenured professor in the Social Science Department of this, a distinguished college.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023