Tenant — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms
Meaning & Definition of Tenant
Tenant (noun)
- one who has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements of another; specifically, one who rents or leases a dwelling (such as a house) from a landlord
- one who holds or possesses real estate or sometimes personal property (such as a security) by any kind of right
- occupant, dweller
Tenant (verb)
- to hold or occupy as or as if as a tenant, inhabit
Word Forms of Tenant
Inflections: tenanted, tenanting, tenants
Derived words: tenantless (adjective), tenantable (adjective)
Origin & Etymology of Tenant
Middle English tenaunt, tenant, borrowed from Anglo-French, "holder (of land under various circumstances)," noun derivative from present participle of tenir "to hold, have possession of," going back (with conjugation change) to Latin tenēre "to hold, occupy, possess," probably derivative, with the stative suffix *-h1i̯é- (with zero-grade ablaut) of the Indo-European verbal base *ten- "stretch, extend," whence, from a present-tense derivative *tn̥-neu̯/nu-, Sanskrit tanóti "(it) extends, spreads, endures," Greek tánytai "(s/he) stretches, extends, bends (a bow)," Welsh tannu, tanu "to spread, extend"; from a causative derivative *ton-éi̯e-, Sanskrit -tānayati "(it) extends," Germanic *þanjan- "to stretch" (whence Old English þennan "to stretch," Old Saxon thennian, Old High German dennen, Old Norse þenja, Gothic ufþanjan "to overextend"); from a present-tense derivative *ten-i̯e-, Greek teínein "to stretch, extend, spread, aim at," with verbal adjective tatós, action noun tásis, both from zero-grade *tn̥-t-
First known use: 14th century
Words & Phrases Containing Tenant
Frequently Asked Questions about Tenant
What does "Tenant" mean?
"Tenant" means one who has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements of another; specifically, one who rents or leases a dwelling (such as a house) from a landlord. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: one who has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements of another; specifically, one who rents or leases a dwelling (such as a house) from a landlord. It has 4 distinct senses.
Is "Tenant" a noun, verb, or adjective?
"Tenant" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.
How do you pronounce "Tenant"?
"Tenant" is pronounced /ˈte-nənt/ and divided into syllables as ten·ant.
What is the origin of the word "Tenant"?
"Tenant" comes from Middle English tenaunt, tenant, borrowed from Anglo-French, "holder (of land under various circumstances)," noun derivative from present participle of tenir "to hold, have possession of," going back (with conjugation change) to Latin tenēre "to hold, occupy, possess," probably derivative, with the stative suffix *-h1i̯é- (with zero-grade ablaut) of the Indo-European verbal base *ten- "stretch, extend," whence, from a present-tense derivative *tn̥-neu̯/nu-, Sanskrit tanóti "(it) extends, spreads, endures," Greek tánytai "(s/he) stretches, extends, bends (a bow)," Welsh tannu, tanu "to spread, extend"; from a causative derivative *ton-éi̯e-, Sanskrit -tānayati "(it) extends," Germanic *þanjan- "to stretch" (whence Old English þennan "to stretch," Old Saxon thennian, Old High German dennen, Old Norse þenja, Gothic ufþanjan "to overextend"); from a present-tense derivative *ten-i̯e-, Greek teínein "to stretch, extend, spread, aim at," with verbal adjective tatós, action noun tásis, both from zero-grade *tn̥-t-. First known use: 14th century.
What does "Tenant" mean as a noun?
As a noun, "Tenant" means: one who has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements of another; specifically, one who rents or leases a dwelling (such as a house) from a landlord; one who holds or possesses real estate or sometimes personal property (such as a security) by any kind of right; occupant, dweller.
What does "Tenant" mean as a verb?
As a verb, "Tenant" means: to hold or occupy as or as if as a tenant, inhabit.
What are the forms of "Tenant"?
The word forms of "Tenant" include tenanted, tenanting and tenants.
What words are derived from "Tenant"?
Words derived from "Tenant" include tenantless (adjective) and tenantable (adjective).