tenure

/ˈtɛnjər/

/ˈtenjʊə/

Other forms: tenures; tenured

Take the noun tenure for the period of time a person holds a position or office. Your tenure as a student ends when you graduate high school — unless, of course, you go on to college.

Tenure from the Latin tenere means "to hold" and refers to the period of time a person works at a particular job or in an office. A president might have to deal with a recession during his tenure in the White House. In university jargon, if you have tenure, you have a permanent teaching position or professorship. In this sense, tenure can also be used as a verb. You've got it made if you're tenured at age 29.

Definitions of tenure

1. noun

   the term during which some position is held
   synonyms: incumbency, term of office

   types:

   administration, presidency, presidential term

   the tenure of a president

   vice-presidency, vice-presidential term

   the tenure of a vice president

   episcopate

   the term of office of a bishop

   type of:

   term

   a limited period of time
2. noun

   the right to keep a job permanently, especially a teaching job
   type of:

   position, status

   the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society
3. noun

   the right to hold property; part of an ancient hierarchical system of holding lands
   synonyms: land tenure

   types:

   copyhold

   a medieval form of land tenure in England; a copyhold was a parcel of land granted to a peasant by the lord of the manor in return for agricultural services

   freehold

   tenure by which land is held in fee simple or for life

   villeinage

   tenure by which a villein held land

   type of:

   legal right

   a right based in law
4. verb

   give life-time employment to
   “She was tenured after she published her book”

   type of:

   advance, elevate, kick upstairs, promote, raise, upgrade

   give a promotion to or assign to a higher position