tenure

noun

ten·ure | \ ˈten-yər also -ˌyu̇r

Definition 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

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Other Words from tenure

tenurable \ ˈten-yər-ə-bəl

\ adjective

tenurial \ te-ˈnyu̇r-ē-əl

\ adjective

tenurially \ te-ˈnyu̇r-ē-ə-lē

\ adverb

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

From Adams to Rodgers, nearly every player in the locker room spoke highly of McCarthy, who overall had a successful tenure of 12-plus seasons highlighted by a Super Bowl win in the 2010 season. — Genaro C. Armas, The Seattle Times, "Packers president Murphy to hire next coach, GM involved," 4 Dec. 2018 Chief Justice Roberts, just 63, has already had an influential tenure. — Alvin Chang, Vox, "Brett Kavanaugh and the Supreme Court’s drastic shift to the right, cartoonsplained," 14 Sep. 2018 Roughly 62 percent of the teams Michigan's played during Brown's tenure and 88 percent of opponents finished games with fewer yards than their season average. — Nick Baumgardner, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan football's defense is championship caliber," 7 July 2018 But much like his mentor and patron, Ailes, Shine had a long tenure that was clouded by unsavory allegations and associations with darker chapters in the network’s history. — Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "Former Fox executive Bill Shine joins White House as communications chief," 5 July 2018 Leonard Riggio, who bought Barnes & Noble in 1971 and expanded it into a national chain, acted as chief executive between Mr. Boire’s tenure and that of Mr. Parneros. — New York Times, "Barnes & Noble Fires C.E.O. Without Severance but Doesn’t Explain Why," 3 July 2018 There is a complex system of ownership, tenure, and use of land in Marawi and in Mindanao, including practices that pre-date the Philippine nation-state. — Rina Chandran, The Christian Science Monitor, "Philippine city ushers in 'community-led rehabilitation' after siege," 29 June 2018 Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images For having only been in office a little over a year, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, has certainly had an eventful tenure. — Alessandra Potenza, The Verge, "A short history of Scott Pruitt’s scandals from the big to the bizarre," 11 June 2018 Alongside Barbara, his beloved wife of 73 years, Bush dispensed words of wisdom long beyond his tenure in public service, inspiring many with his faith and hope for a better tomorrow. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "11 Inspirational Quotes from George H.W. Bush," 30 Nov. 2018

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

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Last Updated

20 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for tenure

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

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More Definitions for tenure

tenure

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tenure

: the amount of time that a person holds a job, office, or title

: the right to keep a job (especially the job of being a professor at a college or university) for as long as you want to have it

law : the right to use property

See the full definition for tenure in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tenure

noun

ten·ure | \ ˈten-yər

Legal Definition of tenure

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

Other Words from tenure

tenurial \ te-ˈnyu̇r-ē-əl

\ adjective

tenurially \ -ə-lē

\ adverb