Words / C1

TEN-y-uh/ˈtenjə/

Tenure is the holding of an office or academic post, often with job security, or the period of that holding: academic tenure, during her tenure as chair. Term of office is a cousin; a contract can be fixed-term without tenure. Do not treat long service as a waiver of the embargo or the n.

Meaning

The holding of an office or academic post, often with security; also that period.

Examples

• “Tenure on the board does not waive the embargo or the n.”
• “A post is everyday. Incumbency is formal. A fixed-term contract is not tenure. Security of post is the academic sense. Length of stay is not a methods holiday. Dates and counts still bind the longest-serving chair.”

Good to know

Period / security of holding a post. Close: term of office. Contrast: a fixed-term contract. Long service ≠ a waiver.

Near in meaning

term

New