tenancy
noun
ten·an·cy
ˈte-nən(t)-sē 
plural tenancies
1
: a holding of an estate or a mode of holding an estate
specifically
: the temporary possession or occupancy of something (such as a house) that belongs to another
2
: the period of a tenant's occupancy or possession
Examples of tenancy in a Sentence
He was granted tenancy of the farm.
During his tenancy, he tried to make as many improvements as he could.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Bennett, community manager at Civic Lofts, told The Post his team is upfront about any costs residents may incur during their tenancy.
—
Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2024
That’s less a rebellion and more like tenancy, and the artistic and imaginative rent this show pays to the concept of Trump is way too high.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
The restrictions on tenancy have pushed such dealings underground.
—Tim Hanstad, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2016
West Hollywood and Santa Monica regulated rent between tenancies.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tenancy 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2024
That’s less a rebellion and more like tenancy, and the artistic and imaginative rent this show pays to the concept of Trump is way too high.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
The restrictions on tenancy have pushed such dealings underground.
—Tim Hanstad, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2016
West Hollywood and Santa Monica regulated rent between tenancies.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tenancy
Dictionary Entries Near tenancy
Cite this Entry
“Tenancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenancy. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tenancy
noun
ten·an·cy
ˈten-ən-sē
plural tenancies
1
a
: the temporary possession or use of another's property
b
: the period of such use or possession
2
: the ownership of property
Legal Definition
tenancy
noun
ten·an·cy
ˈte-nən-sē
plural tenancies
1
: the holding of or a mode of holding an estate in property:
a
: a form of ownership of property : tenure
b
: the temporary possession or occupancy of property that belongs to another
—
holdover tenancy
: a tenancy that arises when one remains in possession of property after the expiration of the previous tenancy (as one under a lease), that may be established as a tenancy at will by the recognition of the landlord (as by accepting rent), and that may sometimes be statutorily converted to a periodic tenancy for the same or a different term than that of the original tenancy
liable for payment of rent in a holdover tenancy
called also tenancy at sufferance
—
joint tenancy
: a tenancy in which two or more parties hold equal and simultaneously created interests in the same property and in which title to the entire property is usually to remain with the survivors upon the death of one of the parties and so on to the last survivor
a right to sever the joint tenancy
see also tenancy by the entirety in this entry compare tenancy in common in this entry
—
life tenancy
: the tenancy of one with a life estate
—
periodic tenancy
\
ˌpir-ē-ˈä-dik-
\
: a tenancy that is carried forward by specified time periods (as months) without a lease and that may be terminated by the landlord or tenant after giving proper notice
—
tenancy at sufferance
: holdover tenancy in this entry
—
tenancy at will
: a tenancy that is terminable at the will of the landlord or tenant provided that applicable statutory requirements for notice are met
—
tenancy by the entirety
: a tenancy that is shared by spouses who are considered one person in law and have the right of survivorship and that becomes a tenancy in common in the event of divorce
property subject to a tenancy by the entirety cannot be encumbered by one tenant acting alone—Mays v. Brighton Bank, 832 S.W.2d 347 (1992)
Mays v. Brighton Bank, 832 S.W.2d 347 (1992)
called also tenancy by the entireties
compare estate by the entirety at estate sense 1
—
tenancy for years
: a tenancy that is for a specified period of time compare tenancy at will in this entry
—
tenancy in common
: a tenancy in which two or more parties share ownership of property but have no right to each other's interest (as upon the death of another tenant) compare joint tenancy in this entry
—
tenancy in partnership
: a tenancy that binds partners to the use of partnership property only for partnership purposes and that does not permit the separate assignment by a partner of his or her right to the property
2
: the period of a tenant's occupancy or possession
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share