Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Tenant

Ten′ant

,
Noun.
[F.
tenant
, p. pr. of
tenir
to hold. See
Tenable
, and cf.
Lieutenant
.]
1.
(Law)
One who holds or possesses lands, or other real estate, by any kind of right, whether in fee simple, in common, in severalty, for life, for years, or at will; also, one who has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements the title of which is in another; – correlative to landlord. See Citation from
Blackstone
, under
Tenement
, 2.
Blount. Wharton.
2.
One who has possession of any place; a dweller; an occupant.
“Sweet tenants of this grove.”
Cowper.
The hhappy
tenant
of your shade.
Cowley.
The sister
tenants
of the middle deep.
Byron.
Tenant in capite
[L.
in
in +
capite
, abl. of
caput
head, chief.]
, or
Tenant in chief
,
by the laws of England, one who holds immediately of the king. According to the feudal system, all lands in England are considered as held immediately or mediately of the king, who is styled lord paramount. Such tenants, however, are considered as having the fee of the lands and permanent possession.
Blackstone.
Tenant in common
.
See under
Common
.

Ten′ant

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Tenanted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Tenanting
.]
To hold, occupy, or possess as a tenant.
Sir Roger’s estate is
tenanted
by persons who have served him or his ancestors.
Addison.

Webster 1828 Edition


Tenant

TEN'ANT

,
Noun.
[L. teneo; Gr. to strain, stretch, extend.]
1.
A person holding land or other real estate under another, either by grant, lease or at will; one who has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements whose title is in another; as a tenant in tail; tenant in common; tenant by the curtesy; tenant in parcenary; tenant for life; tenant at will; tenant in dower.
2.
One who has possession of any place; a dweller.
The happy tenant of your shade.
Tenant in capite, or tenant in chief, by the laws of England, is one who holds immediately of the king. According to the feudal system, all lands in England are considered as held immediately or mediately of the king, who is stiled lord paramount. Such tenants however are considered as having the fee of the lands and permanent possession.

TEN'ANT

,
Verb.
T.
To hold or possess as a tenant.
Sir Roger's estate is tenanted by persons who have served him or his ancestors.

Definition 2024


tenant

tenant

English

Alternative forms

Noun

tenant (plural tenants)

  1. One who pays a fee (rent) in return for the use of land, buildings, or other property owned by others.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Arthur Morrison, The Thing in the Upper Room:
      Long even before the last tenant had occupied it, the room had been regarded with fear and aversion, and the end of that last tenant had in no way lightened the gloom that hung about the place.
  2. One who has possession of any place; a dweller; an occupant.
    • Cowper
      sweet tenants of this grove
    • Cowley
      the happy tenant of your shade
    • Byron
      the sister tenants of the middle deep
  3. (law) One who holds a property by any kind of right, including ownership.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Verb

tenant (third-person singular simple present tenants, present participle tenanting, simple past and past participle tenanted)

  1. To hold as, or be, a tenant.

Translations


French

Verb

tenant

  1. present participle of tenir

Anagrams


Old French

Alternative forms

  • tenaunt (Anglo-Norman, noun, adjective, verb)

Etymology

From the verb tenir (to hold; to possess)

Noun

tenant m (oblique plural tenanz or tenantz, nominative singular tenanz or tenantz, nominative plural tenant)

  1. holder
  2. possessor (of land or property); tenant

Adjective

tenant m (oblique and nominative feminine singular tenant or tenante)

  1. holder; owner (attributively)
  2. sticky; adhesive
  3. strong (of an object, etc.)

Verb

tenant

  1. present participle of tenir

Descendants

References