tenure

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A status of possessing a thing or an office; an incumbency.

   “All that seems thine own, / Held by the tenure of his will alone.”

   “It will be rather entertaining to watch Merriman when he first faces the Transport Select Committee, with his former colleagues likely to be merciless in their questioning. During his tenure, Merriman was pretty sharp, which was no bad thing, and they will make sure he gets a dose of his own medicine.”

   “Carsley ended his six-game tenure as England's interim manager in the same way he started it, with a comfortable victory over the nation he represented with distinction as a player.”

2. (countable, uncountable)A period of time during which something is possessed.
3. (countable, uncountable)A status of having a permanent post with enhanced job security within an academic institution.
4. (countable, uncountable)A right to hold land under the feudal system.

verb

1. (transitive)To grant tenure, the status of having a permanent academic position, to (someone).