Meanings
nounterre-tenant (plural terre-tenants)
plural terre-tenants · alternative ter-tenant
- lawThe owner of land acquired from a judgment debtor.
- lawThe owner of land subject to a rentcharge.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Frenchterre“earth, land”
- Englishterre-tenant
From French terre (“earth, land”) + tenant, present participle of tenir (“to hold”).
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
terre-tenant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/terre-tenant
MLA
“terre-tenant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/terre-tenant. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “terre-tenant,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/terre-tenant.
Source: terre-tenant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.