tenant Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else
renter.
- the landlord can evict a tenant who doesn't pay the rent
noun a holder of buildings or lands by any kind of title (as ownership or lease)
noun any occupant who dwells in a place
verb occupy as a tenant

F. tenant, p.pr. of tenir to hold. See Tenable, and cf. Lieutenant.

(Law) One who holds or possesses lands, or other real estate, by any kind of right, whether in fee simple, in common, in severalty, for life, for years, or at will; also, one who has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements the title of which is in another; -- correlative to landlord. See Citation from Blackstone, under Tenement, 2. Blount. Wharton.
One who has possession of any place; a dweller; an occupant. "Sweet tenants of this grove." Cowper.
The hhappy tenant of your shade. Cowley.

The sister tenants of the middle deep. Byron.

imperfect & past participle Tenanted; present participle & verbal noun Tenanting

To hold, occupy, or possess as a tenant.
Sir Roger's estate is tenanted by persons who have served him or his ancestors. Addison.