tenant

[ten-uhnt]

noun

1. a person or group that rents and occupies land, a house, an office, or the like, from another for a period of time; lessee.

2. Law.,  a person who holds or possesses for a time lands, tenements, or personalty of another, usually for rent.

3. an occupant or inhabitant of any place.

verb (used with object)

1. to hold or occupy as a tenant; dwell in; inhabit.

verb (used without object)

1. to dwell or live (usually followed byin ).

tenant

/ ˈtɛnənt /

noun

1. a person who holds, occupies, or possesses land or property by any kind of right or title, esp from a landlord under a lease

2. a person who has the use of a house, flat, etc, subject to the payment of rent

3. any holder or occupant

verb

1. (tr) to hold (land or property) as a tenant

2. rare,  to dwell

Other Word Forms

• tenant-like adjective
• tenantable adjective
• tenantless adjective
• tenantlike adjective
• nontenant noun
• nontenantable adjective
• untenantable adjective
• untenanted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenant¹

1250–1300; Middle English tena ( u ) nt < Anglo-French; Middle French tenant, noun use of present participle of tenir to hold ≪ Latin tenēre. See -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenant¹

C14: from Old French, literally: (one who is) holding, from tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre

Example Sentences

Fed-up tenants who moved out were replaced many times over by newcomers: rats, insects and weeds.

From Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles landlords may soon be required to keep rental units cool — or at least make it possible for tenants to do so.

From Los Angeles Times

Some downtown L.A. office tenants have expressed concern that the streets feel less safe than they did before the pandemic and have left for other local office centers, including in Century City.

From Los Angeles Times

Elle is also facing eviction because the landlord wants the property back to move in a family member – a legal method through which tenants are allowed to be evicted.

From BBC

Sam Carson spoke to BBC News NI after six vehicles were burnt and destroyed outside a house in Lisnevenagh Road where six of his tenants live.

From BBC

Related Words

• dweller 
• holder 
• inhabitant 
• occupant 
• renter 
• resident