tenor

noun ten·or \ ˈte-nər \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: tenor in a Sentence

Definition of tenor

1 a : the highest natural adult male singing voice; also : a person having this voice

b : the voice part next to the lowest in a 4-part chorus

c : a member of a family of instruments having a range next lower than that of the alto

d : the melodic line usually forming the cantus firmus in medieval music

2 a : the drift of something spoken or written : purport

b : an exact copy of a writing : transcript

c : the concept, object, or person meant in a metaphor

3 : a continuance in a course, movement, or activity

4 : habitual condition : character

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Examples of tenor in a Sentence

He has a high, lilting tenor.
She asked the tenors to sing the line again.
The tenor of his remarks is clear.

Recent Examples of tenor from the Web

The horns – Walt Weiskopf on tenor sax, Roger Rosenberg on baritone, Michael Leonhart on trumpet, and Jim Pugh on trombone – simply killed all night.

— john timpane, Philly.com, "Steely Dan play their first Philly-area show without late member Walter Becker at the BB&T Pavilion," 12 July 2018
Soprano Sierra Boggess, tenor Ryan Silverman and baritone Ben Crawford will do the honors.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "From Bernstein to Broadway to Latin jazz," 12 July 2018
Mauricio Martínez, who played Emilio at the end of the New York run, possesses a tenor capable of soft introspection or ceiling-scorching power.

— daryl h. miller, latimes.com, "Review: 'On Your Feet!,' the Gloria and Emilio Estefan story, sets rhythms in irresistible motion," 11 July 2018
In the context of such extreme cases, Grant’s mandate to officers to become someone else can take on an uncomfortable tenor.

— chris stokel-walker, The Atlantic, "The Linguist Who Helps Police Catch Child Predators," 10 July 2018
Similarly, Bad Luck is a tenor-drums duo steeped in drone-y saxophone melodies, virtuosic drum soliloquys, and plays with pedals and effects.

— alexa peters, The Seattle Times, "‘This is cool music’: A younger crew of Seattle jazz-informed musicians bend genres, creating their own sound," 9 July 2018
Smith’s honeyed tenor absolutely glistened — overshadowed only by a falsetto for days.

— théoden janes, charlotteobserver, "Review: Did Sam Smith and his sad songs find a way to send Charlotte fans home happy?," 7 July 2018
Among the performers are tenor Kang Wang, violinist Paul Huang and pianist Gilbert Kalish.

— joshua kosman, SFChronicle.com, "Joshua Kosman’s classical music pick, July 8," 5 July 2018
This weekend, an emerging tenor saxophonist composer performs at the Jazz Café, and a hip-hop star throws a party at the Old Miami.

— jeff milo, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit music: Idiot Kids at Outer Limits, Nick Speed at the Old Miami," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tenor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tenor

Middle English tenour, from Anglo-French, from Latin tenor uninterrupted course, from tenēre to hold — more at thin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2a

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of tenor

tendency, trend, drift, tenor, current mean movement in a particular direction. tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.