tenement

[ ten-uh-muh nt ]
/ ˈtɛn ə mənt /

noun

Also called tenement house. a run-down and often overcrowded apartment house, especially in a poor section of a large city.
Law.
  1. any species of permanent property, as lands, houses, rents, an office, or a franchise, that may be held of another.
  2. tenements, freehold interests in things immovable considered as subjects of property.
British. an apartment or room rented by a tenant.
Archaic. any abode or habitation.

Origin of tenement

1250–1300; Middle English < Medieval Latin tenēmentum, equivalent to Latin tenē(re) to hold + -mentum -ment

OTHER WORDS FROM tenement

ten·e·men·tal [ten-uh-men-tl] /ˌtɛn əˈmɛn tl/, ten·e·men·ta·ry [ten-uh-men-tuh-ree] /ˌtɛn əˈmɛn tə ri/, adjective ten·e·ment·ed, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for tenement

British Dictionary definitions for tenement

tenement
/ (ˈtɛnəmənt) /

noun

Also called: tenement building (now esp in Scotland) a large building divided into separate flats
a dwelling place or residence, esp one intended for rent
mainly British a room or flat for rent
property law any form of permanent property, such as land, dwellings, offices, etc

Derived forms of tenement

tenemental (ˌtɛnəˈmɛntəl) or tenementary, adjective tenemented, adjective

Word Origin for tenement

C14: from Medieval Latin tenementum, from Latin tenēre to hold