/ ˈtenjə(r); NAmE / noun [ U ]
1.
the period of time when sb holds an important job, especially a political one; the act of holding an important job :
his four-year tenure as President
She knew that tenure of high political office was beyond her.
2.
the right to stay permanently in your job, especially as a teacher at a university :
It's still extremely difficult to get tenure.
3.
the legal right to live in a house or use a piece of land
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French , from tenir to hold, from Latin tenere .