… 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. 1995Pittsburgh's offensive linemen, trap blockers during Noll's tenure, had to bulk up for the straight-ahead game.—Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated, 9 Nov. 1992A 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
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Wrote Thomas Harrigan: Profar not only refined his approach at the plate, recording the lowest chase (21.9%) and whiff (17.0%) rates of his big league tenure, but also did more damage on contact than ever before.—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025 Finishing his tenure as a San Antonio Spurs assistant before fully transitioning into his new role, Budenholzer wanted Horford, a rising star with the Hawks, to see basketball at the highest level.—Jay King, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025 The tumble was clearly all in good fun for Seacrest, who is hitting his stride now five months into his tenure as host of the show.—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025 The broadcast then cut to a pre-taped message by former Queen of Daytime, Oprah Winfrey, who congratulated O’Donnell on her tenure, then narrated highlight reel featuring interviews with everyone from Pope Francis to Dolly Parton.—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for tenure
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, "possession of land under obligation to a superior, the land so held," borrowed from Anglo-French tenure, teneure, going back to Gallo-Romance *tenitūra "act of possessing," from Latin ten-, base of tenēre "to hold, possess" + -it-, generalized from past participles ending in -itus + -ūra-ure — more at tenant entry 1
Note:
A number of renderings of the word in Medieval Latin from the 11th century on (as tenetura, tenatura, tentura, tenura, etc.) may reflect stages in the passage from Latin to French or attempts to Latinize a vernacular form.
: the act, right, manner, or term of holding something (as property, a position, or an office)
especially: a status granted after a trial period to a teacher that gives protection from dismissal except for serious cause determined by formal proceedings
: 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
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