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

Derived Forms

• tenˈurially, adverb
• tenˈurial, adjective

Other Words From

• ten·u·ri·al [ten-, yoor, -ee-, uh, l], adjective
• ten·uri·al·ly adverb
• nonten·uri·al adjective
• nonten·uri·al·ly adverb
• under·tenure 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

Citi shares gained about 40% during his tenure, compared with 138% for JPMorgan and 171% for Bank of America.

From Quartz

There were times … Look, I’ve looked back on my tenure, Carlos.

From Ozy

Melissa Maddox-Evans, who in October became the executive director for the housing authority, declined to comment specifically on issues before her tenure, but she said the court cases are a necessary step.

From ProPublica

During her tenure leading the label, Dlugacz produced 40 albums and sold more than a million records.

From Washington Blade

When he took over eight years ago, it was far from clear that the paper would emerge from his tenure as a modern digital operation that was still family-controlled.

From Digiday

In this clip, a teenage Minaj gets heated and throws a phone in a play rehearsal during her tenure at LaGuardia High School.

From The Daily Beast

Simpson also encountered similar situations during his tenure at the Center.

From The Daily Beast

Around the world, they are held in high esteem, paid professional wages, and often granted tenure in their jobs.

From The Daily Beast

“That was the longest, most severe S/M session I have experienced in my thirty-four-year tenure,” she writes in the book.

From The Daily Beast

His stories about his tenure in Washington hype his success in fixing housing problems in “inner cities.”

From The Daily Beast

He has made judges dependent on his will alone for the tenure of their offices and the amount and payment of their salaries.

From Project Gutenberg

His tenure of the governorship of Urmi had been brief; but like the kingship of Roumania was always a pleasant reminiscence.

From Project Gutenberg

Under the feudal system the rent was of two classes—personal service or money; the latter was considered base tenure.

From Project Gutenberg

Poor Mr. Selwyn had repaired and decorated the house only the previous year, little thinking his tenure of it would be so short.

From Project Gutenberg

On revising the statutes good behavior was made the term of tenure for the judges and clerks of common pleas.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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