tanistry

T1A1N1I1S1T1R1Y4
UK/ˈtæ.nɪ.stɹi/

noun

A form of tenure, in ancient Scotland and Ireland, whereby succession was passed to an elected member of the same extended family.

Scrabble 11
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Meanings

nountanistry (usually uncountable, plural tanistries)

plural tanistries

  1. historicaluncountableusuallyA form of tenure, in ancient Scotland and Ireland, whereby succession was passed to an elected member of the same extended family.

    They also have to make allowance, in place of primogeniture, for the practice of tanistry, that is, the naming of a successor who was not necessarily the ruler's son.

    2011, Norman Davies, Vanished Kingdoms, Penguin, published 2012, page 50

Origin

From tanist + -ry.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tanistry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tanistry

MLA

“tanistry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tanistry. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tanistry,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tanistry.

Source: tanistry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.