plural tenures
1
: the amount of time that a person holds a job, office, or title
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.
2
: 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
After seven years I was finally granted tenure.
He hopes to get tenure next year.
3
law
: the right to use property
The defendant did not have tenure on the land.
land tenure in Anglo-Saxon Britain
Cite this Entry
“Tenure.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/tenure. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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