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

Immersion into Japanese culture is a central tenet of each Trunk property. —Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2024

Operations in its landmarked interior have been replaced by the Grill, which admirably upholds its tenets of service, exclusivity, and exorbitance, albeit with considerably better food. —Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, marketing trends like influencer gifting or shopping hauls, key tenets to Brandy Melville's success, also encourage rapid consumption and disposal. —Cady Lang, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024

The Satanic Temple has seven tenets that are central to its mission as an organization. —Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024

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

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