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tenure meaning and examples

2025-09-26

Meaning

  • Tenure (noun) refers to the period of time during which someone holds a position, office, or job.
  • It can also mean the legal right to use property, especially land or housing.
  • In academic contexts, tenure often means the permanent employment status given to professors after a probationary period, protecting them from dismissal without cause.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: noun

  • Common sentence structures:

    • “have tenure”
    • “during someone’s tenure”
    • “tenure as [position]”
    • “grant tenure to [someone]”

Common Phrases

  • Tenure track – A career path in academia leading to the possibility of permanent employment.
  • Grant tenure – To officially provide someone with permanent employment, often in universities.
  • During one’s tenure – Refers to the period of time someone held a position.

Collocations

  • academic tenure
  • secure tenure
  • tenure as president/professor/manager
  • land tenure
  • job tenure

Examples

  1. She was granted tenure after six years of teaching and research.
  2. During his tenure as CEO, the company doubled in size.
  3. The new law protects farmers’ land tenure rights.
  4. Without tenure, many professors worry about job security.
  5. The politician’s short tenure was marked by controversy.
  6. After five years, he finally secured tenure at the university.
  7. Stable housing tenure is critical for community development.
  8. The manager’s tenure ended when the team’s performance declined.
  • term
  • incumbency
  • occupancy
  • appointment
  • permanence (in academic context)

Antonym

  • dismissal
  • unemployment
  • insecurity
  • temporary appointment