noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈtɛnɪmənt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:T EH1 N AH0 M AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
Examples
The island of Brecqhou is a tenement of Sark.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A dwelling; abode; habitation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a run-down apartment house barely meeting minimal standards
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tenement house
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: apartment building, apartment house
History
Etymology
From Middle English tenement, from Anglo-Norman tenement (“holding”), from Old French tenement, from Medieval Latin tenimentum, from Latin teneō (“hold”).
Across languages
Translations
36 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Danish:
lejebolig
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Danish:
lejekaserne
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Dutch:
huurkazerne
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Dutch:
flatgebouw
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Finnish:
vuokra-asunto
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Finnish:
vuokratalo
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
French:
appartement
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
French:
logement
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
German:
Mietskaserne
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
German:
Wohnungsblock
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
German:
Wohnblock
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Ancient Greek:
συνοικία
(sunoikía)
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Hungarian:
bérház
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Irish:
tionontán
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Italian:
casamento
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Italian:
condominio
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Italian:
case popolari
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Italian:
casermone
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Latin:
insula
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Polish:
kamienica czynszowa
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Polish:
czynszówka
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Portuguese:
cortiço
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Spanish:
casa de vecindad
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Spanish:
vecindad
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Spanish:
bloque de viviendas
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Spanish:
inquilinato
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Spanish:
solar
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Spanish:
conventillo
— a building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one
Dutch:
verpachting
— any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned
German:
Mietshaus
— any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned
Hungarian:
bérlet
— any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned
Hungarian:
bérlemény
— any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned
Hungarian:
bérlakás
— any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned
Irish:
tionóntán
— any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned
Polish:
parcela dzierżawna
— any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned
Russian:
арендованное иму́щество
(arendovannoje imúščestvo)
— any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned
