tenor

noun ten·or \ ˈte-nər \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

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

Through most of these fires, large and small, the tenor among the platforms’ leaders echoed with a startling harmony of indifference.

— jason parham, WIRED, "Facebook and the Price of Tech Utopia," 10 Apr. 2018
The chorus sings in four-part a cappella harmony: lead, tenor, baritone and bass.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Boynton Beach’s Coastmen Chorus barbershop singers build harmony," 21 Mar. 2018
After analyzing the emotional tenor of their responses, the team found the participants generally used more positive than negative words when describing both extraterrestrial and synthetic life.

— yasemin saplakoglu, Scientific American, "Is Humanity Ready for the Discovery of Alien Life?," 16 Feb. 2018
And tenor Richard Troxell is winning in the role of real-life vaudeville comedian Dan Leno.

— deanna isaacs, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Opera / Performing Arts Chicago Opera Theater’s gory and good Elizabeth Cree," 12 Feb. 2018
Don Quixote is represented as a solo cello (spelled by solo violin), Sancho Panza as a solo viola (with help from bass clarinet and tenor tuba).

— jeffrey gantz, BostonGlobe.com, "Nelsons and the BSO shine in Widmann and Richard Strauss," 31 Mar. 2018
As the Phantom, Icelandic tenor Gardar Thor Cortes sings with richness, power and beauty, though at times too much overwrought theatricality.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "'Love Never Dies' looks great, but less filling," 29 Mar. 2018
Thor Arbjornsson, an Icelandic tenor, was also problematic as Rameau’s lead.

— james r. oestreich, New York Times, "Review: Ahead of ‘My Fair Lady,’ Two Operatic Pygmalions," 26 Mar. 2018
But the majesty of the CJO’s sound and Redman’s heroic statements on tenor and soprano saxophones amounted to a tribute richly deserved.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Honoring Marian McPartland, the jazz icon who smashed glass ceilings," 26 Mar. 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

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.