untenuredadj.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈtɛnjəd/, U.S. /ˌənˈtɛnjərd/ Chiefly North American.
1. Of a teacher, lecturer, or other professional: not having guaranteed tenure of office.
ΚΠ
1961 Perspecta 7 75 The untenured teacher is willing and ready to replace at the touch of a doubt established principles with individual conviction.
1969 Federal Suppl. (U.S.) 11 Dec. 1053/1 Person, even though untenured, may not be denied public employment for unconstitutional reason.
1984 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 28 Mar. (Late City Final ed.) a26/1 The pending bills would staff bankruptcy courts with untenured judges.
2017 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 24 Mar. (Ontario ed.) a13 When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center..on Sept. 11, 2001, I was an untenured associate professor at Duke University.
2. Of employment, esp. an academic post: not carrying a guarantee of permanent employment until retirement.
ΚΠ
1968 Hist. Educ. Q. 8 347 Despite their weak untenured position, the masters had shown their real strength; the struggle and their eventual victory demonstrated that the days had passed when a school committee could impose reform without the support of its teaching staff.
1973 San Antonio (Texas) Express & News 3 May 7 c/3 The dividing line between tenured and untenured jobs should be set much lower in the [civil service] hierarchy.
2015 Guardian (Nexis) 10 Dec. (Science section) Clinging on to my untenured academic position while my fellow female colleagues drop out all around.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2018; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1961