tenant

[ ten-uh nt ]
/ ˈtɛn ənt /

noun

a person or group that rents and occupies land, a house, an office, or the like, from another for a period of time; lessee.
Law. a person who holds or possesses for a time lands, tenements, or personalty of another, usually for rent.
an occupant or inhabitant of any place.

verb (used with object)

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

verb (used without object)

to dwell or live (usually followed by in).

Origin of tenant

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

OTHER WORDS FROM tenant

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tenant

tenant tenet

Example sentences from the Web for tenantable

British Dictionary definitions for tenantable

tenant
/ (ˈtɛnənt) /

noun

a person who holds, occupies, or possesses land or property by any kind of right or title, esp from a landlord under a lease
a person who has the use of a house, flat, etc, subject to the payment of rent
any holder or occupant

verb

(tr) to hold (land or property) as a tenant
(intr foll by in) rare to dwell

Derived forms of tenant

tenantable, adjective tenantless, adjective tenant-like, adjective

Word Origin for tenant

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