tenure

Etymology

From Middle English tenure, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French tenure, from Vulgar Latin *tenitura, from *tenitus, from Latin tentus (from teneō) + -ura.

noun

1. A status of possessing a thing or an office; an incumbency.
   It will be rather entertaining to watch Merriman when he first faces the Transport Select Committee, with his former colleagues likely to be merciless in their questioning. During his tenure, Merriman was pretty sharp, which was no bad thing, and they will make sure he gets a dose of his own medicine. November 16 2022, Christian Wolmar, “Can Merriman use his rail knowledge to make a difference?”, in RAIL, number 970, page 45
2. A period of time during which something is possessed.
3. A status of having a permanent post with enhanced job security within an academic institution.
4. A right to hold land under the feudal system.

verb

1. (transitive) To grant tenure, the status of having a permanent academic position, to (someone).