Definition of TENURE (original) (raw)
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
Synonyms
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.
The team made the playoffs only once in LaVine’s tenure, facing the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022 as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 The project is finally gaining momentum under Lyles' tenure, and possibly starting construction as soon as 2026. —Alexandria Sands, Axios, 4 Feb. 2025 The Chiefs wideout opened up about the end of his tenure with the Tennessee Titans from earlier this season, which led to him being traded to the Chiefs in late October. —Nate Taylor, The Athletic, 4 Feb. 2025 Over the course of Niccol's four-month tenure, the company has enacted multiple changes, including the reversal of its open-door policy and returning coffeehouse amenities. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025 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
Dictionary Entries Near tenure
Cite this Entry
“Tenure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenure. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 8 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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