tenet

noun

te·​net ˈte-nət 

 also  ˈtē-nət

: a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true

especially : one held in common by members of an organization, movement, or profession

Did you know?

Tenet holds a centuries-long tenure in the English language, but its hometown is Latin. In that language, tenet is a form of the verb tenēre ("to hold") and means "s/he holds." Tenet was borrowed into English around 1600, probably because of use of the word in Latin writings to introduce text giving a principle or doctrine held by a person or group, such as a particular church or sect. The word’s English use today seems clearly linked: "a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true, and especially one held in common by members of an organization, movement, or profession." Note that the similar-sounding word tenant is also from tenēre; it arrived in the 1300s and typically refers today to someone who rents or leases a house, apartment, etc., from a landlord. (Be careful not to use tenant where you want tenet.) Tenure is a tenēre descendant too.

Did you know?

Tenets vs. Tenants

Thanks to its confusingly similar pronunciation, tenant (“occupant, land-holder”) is sometimes erroneously used in place of tenet (“principle, doctrine”). Consider this example:

One of the ancient tenants of the Buddist [sic] belief is, “He who sits still, wins” –Police, January/February 1968

You will probably never make the opposite mistake (that is, substitute tenet for tenant), but if you think you might, remember that tenant and occupant both end in -ant.

Examples of tenet in a Sentence

the central tenets of a religion

one of the basic tenets of the fashion industry

Recent Examples on the Web

The move is a major reversal by Musk, who made user payments for the blue checkmark a central tenet of his plan to build a subscription business on X and reduce the platform’s heavy dependency on advertiser dollars. —Oliver Darcy, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

This means streets with slower speeds, shorter and more visible crosswalks, lower turning speeds, protected bike lanes and other physical changes — many of the core tenets of Caltrans’ complete streets policy. —Nicole Efron, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024

Some Ukrainians who were being collared by election teams were asked to fill out ballots in front of pro-Kremlin election workers and soldiers — violating the principle of a secret ballot, a core tenet of democracy. —Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024

For years, privacy advocates have warned that the data brokerage industry is a civil liberties nightmare that threatens the very basic tenets of personal digital autonomy. —Lucas Ropek / Gizmodo, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024

The former President has made an outward disdain for the mainstream media a key tenet of his political movement. —Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

Unlike her predecessors, Mnookin is taking aim at some of the most entrenched tenets of UW-Madison’s organizational culture. —Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024

Several additional agreements have expanded on the key tenets enshrined in the 1961 treaty: freedom of scientific investigation, research and cooperation, and peaceful use of the continent. —Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024

Decades before Warren Buffett’s hero Benjamin Graham formally detailed the tenets of value investing in his 1949 book, Intelligent Investor, the Witch of Wall Street was espousing many of the same ideas. —Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 17 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, "(s/he) holds," 3rd person singular present tense of tenēre "to hold, possess" — more at tenant entry 1

Note: Probably from the use of tenet in Latin texts as the opening verb in the statement of a principle or doctrine held by the person or body in question; cf. tenent (Latin, "they hold") used in the 16th to 18th centuries in the same sense.

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

tenet

noun

te·​net ˈten-ət 

: a widely held belief

especially : one held in common by members of a group or profession