… 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
Recent Examples on the WebMacdonald becomes the first Seattle coach to ever start his tenure with consecutive wins.—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024 The energetic McVay can always find something upbeat to lean on, a trait which has served him as well during an eight-year tenure as one of the most successful to pry his trade in franchise history.—Jay Paris, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024 In Oakland, the A’s won four World Series championships, more than any other California team during their tenure.—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2024 Two weeks before the festival was due to kick off – and four days before her tenure as Deauville director officially began – Hesbert opted to formally disinvite the controversial juror, leading to media pushback and still ongoing litigation.—Ben Croll, Variety, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tenure
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tenure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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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