tenet
6 synonyms for tenet, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A principle or belief held to be true by a person or, more often, by a group, religion or movement.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use tenet
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a central tenet
the basic tenets of
core tenets
Formal and usually plural. Most often applied to religions, philosophies, political movements and professional disciplines rather than to one person's opinions.
Etymology
From Latin tenet 'he holds', from tenere 'to hold'.
Full origin of tenet →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tenet and tenant?
A tenet is a principle or belief held by a group. A tenant is a person who rents a home or premises from a landlord. They sound nearly the same but share no meaning, and writing 'a central tenant of the theory' is a common error.
What is the difference between a tenet and a doctrine?
A tenet is a single principle within a belief system. A doctrine is usually the whole formal body of teaching, or an officially adopted policy. A doctrine can be made up of several tenets.
