tenure

noun

ten·​ure ˈten-yər How to pronounce tenure (audio)
also -ˌyu̇r
Synonyms of tenure
1
: the act, right, manner, or term of holding something (such as a landed property, a position, or an office)
especially : a status granted after a trial period to a teacher that gives protection from summary dismissal
2
: grasp, hold
tenurable
ˈten-yər-ə-bəl How to pronounce tenure (audio)
adjective
tenurial
te-ˈnyu̇r-ē-əl How to pronounce tenure (audio)
adjective
tenurially
te-ˈnyu̇r-ē-ə-lē How to pronounce tenure (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of tenure

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Examples of tenure in a Sentence

… but there is also about it just the trace of the nettlesome righteousness that alienated much of Washington during his tenure there, the not-so-subtle suggestion that while he might be in politics, he is not of politics and certainly not, God forbid, a politician. —Jim Wooten, New York Times Magazine, 29 Jan. 1995
Pittsburgh's offensive linemen, trap blockers during Noll's tenure, had to bulk up for the straight-ahead game. —Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated, 9 Nov. 1992
A mural on the upper half of a four-story guesthouse was painted in 1977 by twelve-year-old schoolchildren, whose tenure on the scaffold must have thrilled their parents. —John McPhee, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 1988
During his tenure as head coach, the team won the championship twice. her 12-year tenure with the company His tenure in office will end with the next election. After seven years I was finally granted tenure. He hopes to get tenure next year. The defendant did not have tenure on the land. land tenure in Anglo-Saxon Britain
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Former Republican Kurt Bardella was a senior House Oversight Committee adviser and communications specialist from 2009 to 2013, during California Republican Darrell Issa's tenure as chair. — Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026 The deployment of cringe might seems like a ridiculous, even unconscious, exercise by an administration that – as with the five-day tenure of former press secretary Katie Zacharia shows – regularly exposes itself to derision and satire. — Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026 Yormark’s tenure at the Big 12, however, has not been without criticism. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026 In his tenure with Carolina, the team has given up 200-plus rushing yards 12 times. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tenure

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "possession of land under obligation to a superior, the land so held," borrowed from Anglo-French tenure, teneure, going back to Gallo-Romance *tenitūra "act of possessing," from Latin ten-, base of tenēre "to hold, possess" + -it-, generalized from past participles ending in -itus + -ūra -ure — more at tenant entry 1

Note: A number of renderings of the word in Medieval Latin from the 11th century on (as tenetura, tenatura, tentura, tenura, etc.) may reflect stages in the passage from Latin to French or attempts to Latinize a vernacular form.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tenure was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing tenure

Rhymes for tenure

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Browse Nearby Words

tenuousness
tenure
tenure by free alms
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tenure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenure. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tenure

noun
ten·​ure ˈten-yər How to pronounce tenure (audio)
: the act, right, manner, or term of holding something (as property, a position, or an office)
especially : a status granted after a trial period to a teacher that gives protection from dismissal except for serious cause determined by formal proceedings
tenurial
te-ˈnyu̇r-ē-əl
adjective

Legal Definition

tenure

noun
ten·​ure ˈten-yər How to pronounce tenure (audio)
1
: the act, manner, duration, or right of holding something
tenure of office
specifically : the manner of holding real property : the title and conditions by which property is held
freehold tenure
2
: a status granted to a teacher usually after a probationary period that protects him or her from dismissal except for reasons of incompetence, gross misconduct, or financial necessity
tenurial
te-ˈnyu̇r-ē-əl How to pronounce tenure (audio)
adjective
tenurially
-ə-lē How to pronounce tenure (audio)
adverb
Etymology

Anglo-French, feudal holding, from Old French teneüre, from Medieval Latin tenitura, ultimately from Latin tenēre to hold

More from Merriam-Webster on tenure

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tenure

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