n. 1. a. The act, fact, manner, or condition of holding something in one's possession, as real estate or an office; occupation. b. A period during which something is held. 2. The status of holding one's position on a permanent basis without periodic contract renewals: a teacher granted tenure on a faculty. [Middle English, from Old French teneure, from tenir, to hold, from Latin tenēre, to hold; see ten- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] ten·uri·al (-yrē-əl) adj. ten·uri·al·ly adv. |
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