tenure Hear it!

tenure Definition

ten·ure (tenyər, -yo̵or)

noun

  1. the act or right of holding property, an office, a position, etc.
  2. the length of time, or the conditions under which, something is held
  3. the status of holding one's position on a permanent basis, granted to teachers, civil service personnel, etc. on the fulfillment of specified requirements

Etymology: ME < MFr < tenir, to hold: see tenant

tenure Related Forms

ten·ured adjective tenu·rial (ten yo̵orē əl) adjective

tenure Synonyms

tenure

n.

occupancy, occupation, ownership, term of office; see security 2.

tenure Law Definition

n

  1. An ancient hierarchical system of land possession or holding in subordination to a superior.
  2. The status afforded teachers and professors, long considered a cornerstone of academic freedom of protection against dismissal without adequate cause.
  3. A general legal protection of a long-term relationship, such as employment.

tenure Usage Examples

Object

professor: Clawson's study focused on tenured professors at the institutions of West Virginia.

Converse of object

crofting: In a few places where the moor is not under crofting tenure, the local estate may manage it for grouse shooting.

Adjective modifier

  • feudal: Most houses and flats are owned on ' feudal tenure ' .
  • customary: Formerly held in customary tenure of the earl of Thanet by the yearly rent of 6d.
  • four-year: They are directly elected by the electorate rather than by councilors in the majority group and have a four-year tenure.
  • five-year: The former Illinois congressman said he is proud of his five-year tenure at the Pentagon.
  • mixed: Desire for mixed tenure There has been strong support in government for mixing tenure on newly built housing estates.
  • two-year: His two-year tenure as boss of HMRC has not been without controversy.

Modifies a noun

  • freehold: TENURE Freehold with the benefit of vacant possession upon legal completion.
  • diversification: Tenure diversification is an important element in the development of sustainable communities.
  • mix: Developer attitudes Developers vary in their approach to mixed tenure development; many would prefer there to be no tenure mix.
  • faculty: The Department is composed of 19 tenure track faculty, several adjunct faculty and approximately 60 graduate students.

Noun used with modifier

  • copyhold: The 1922 Law of Property Act finally abolished copyhold tenure.
  • burgage: Their property was probably held by burgage tenure and they paid a higher rate of tax than others.
  • leasehold: The Halifax College site to the south of the Heslington West campus has a leasehold tenure.
  • land: Farmers cannot maintain their soil in areas affected by civil conflict or insecure land tenure.
  • housing: Housing tenure in the center of the housing estate is unbalanced.

Preposition: of

  • fellowship: The Fellow may teach elsewhere during tenure of the Fellowship only with the express permission of the Director.
  • office: This joint tenure of the office appears to be unique in English history.
  • scholarship: The maximum tenure of a scholarship is normally three years and the value of the award is reviewed annually.