tenet

[ten-it, tee-nit]

noun

1. any opinion, principle, doctrine, dogma, etc., especially one held as true by members of a profession, group, or movement.

   Synonyms: position, belief

tenet

/ ˈtiːnɪt, ˈtɛnɪt /

noun

1. a belief, opinion, or dogma

Pronunciation Note

The word tenet is often mispronounced as , with an extra /n/ sound in the second syllable—exactly like the word tenant (meaning someone who rents and occupies an apartment, office, etc.). It is a mistake made by people across a wide range of educational backgrounds, because it is such a natural one to make: English has thousands of words that end in the unstressed syllable -ant or -ent, such as parent, accident, potent, and relevant. Moreover, the two sounds at the end of all these words—/n/ and /t/—are very easily made together because we pronounce them with the tongue in the same place, touching the upper palate (or roof) of the mouth. The almost identical-sounding and common word tenant makes it all too easy for the extra /n/ to creep into the second syllable of tenet. Another word that is liable to be mispronounced in a similar way, with an extra /n/ in the second syllable, is pundit. No doubt the first /n/ in both tenet and pundit also influences their mispronunciation. And in pundit, the /d/ sound is another one made in the same place as both /n/ and /t/. Talk about piling on!

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenet¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin: “he holds,” 3rd person singular present indicative of tenēre “to hold”; tenant ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenet¹

C17: from Latin, literally: he (it) holds, from tenēre to hold

Example Sentences

Core tenets of his economic policies were under strain.

From Los Angeles Times

So I decided to blow out the tenets of my current kitchen triage — salt, acid, oregano — into a full-blown meal.

From Salon

There are a few central tenets to F1 and the philosophy by which it is run that are worth mentioning here.

From BBC

Recent executive orders and actions have set the stage for the federal government to curtail states’ rights, once a central tenet of conservative policy.

From Los Angeles Times

Even Trump’s denial of that basic Christian tenet has proved no obstacle for his white Christian supporters.

From Salon

Related Words

• assumption 
• credo 
• creed 
• doctrine 
• dogma 
• faith 
• precept 
• presumption 
• teaching