short-tenured
|short-ten-ured|
🇺🇸
/ˈʃɔrtˌtɛnərd/
🇬🇧
/ˈʃɔːtˌtɛnəd/
holding office for a short time
Etymology
'short-tenured' originates from modern English as a compound of 'short' and 'tenured', where 'short' (from Old English 'sceort') meant 'brief/not long' and 'tenured' derives from 'tenure' (from Old French/Latin 'tenir'/'tenere') meaning 'to hold (an office)'.
'short' changed from Old English 'sceort' into Middle and Modern English 'short'; 'tenured' developed from Latin 'tenere' -> Old French 'tenir' -> Middle English 'tenure' and then the adjective form 'tenured' in modern English, combining to form the compound 'short-tenured'.
Initially, 'short' meant 'not long in length' and 'tenured' related to 'holding' (office); combined, the compound evolved to mean 'holding an office for a short time'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having a brief period in a position or office; holding a post for only a short time.
She was a short-tenured director who left after only 6 months.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/20 16:55