lease 1 of 2

noun

Definition of leasenext
as in property

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

lease

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to rent
to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment the landlord was willing to lease the apartment for less than we had expected

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to hire
to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum I couldn't afford to buy a car outright, so I decided to lease one instead

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lease different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of lease are charter, hire, let, and rent. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

When would charter be a good substitute for lease?

In some situations, the words charter and lease are roughly equivalent. However, charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

How are the words hire and let related as synonyms of lease?

Both hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer
decided to let the cottage to a young couple

In what contexts can rent take the place of lease?

Although the words rent and lease have much in common, rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent
will not rent to families with children

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lease
Noun
Ollie's Bargain Outlet is acquiring 40 store leases from Big Lots, which continues to maneuver through the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process. — Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025 The federal government added thousands of electric vehicles to its fleet under Biden, who issued an executive order in 2021 requiring that most federal vehicle leases or purchases be zero-emission by 2035. — Nathaniel Minor, NPR, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
AerCap, the world’s largest aircraft leasing company, bought 150 aircraft, helicopters and spare engines last year from Boeing, Kelly added. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025 Initially, it was expected that LAZ would build the new transit center and lease it to the state. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lease
  1. property
  2. rent
  3. hire
  4. tract
  5. development
Noun
  • Mehul Patel, a BAPS volunteer, said all the graffiti on the property and sidewalk was removed as of Sunday.
    — Jasmine Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2025
  • In addition to the arrests near Raven Park, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office also cleared out an encampment on private property over the weekend that resulted in several arrests.
    — Abe Aboraya, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of property
Verb
  • Morena Baccarin plays Inara Serra, a licensed Companion (a high-status courtesan) who rents one of Serenity’s shuttles as her private quarters and place of business.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2025
  • After the ruling, the Barnetts rented an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana and, according to court documents, left Natalia there to fend for herself.
    — Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of rent
Verb
  • In 2023, the city hired the formidable Carmela Levy-David as its new superintendent.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Blue Heron employee Orlando Garcia was hired a decade ago, and became the farm manager after John died in 2018.
    — Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of hire
Noun
  • Infections Viruses or bacteria infecting the upper respiratory tract (the airways) often affect the throat first, causing soreness.
    — Mark Gurarie, Health, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Supporters say the development would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the city’s downtown, with plans for a Black history museum, affordable housing, entertainment venues, plus office and retail space — and the promise of thousands of jobs.
    — Curt Anderson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of tract
Noun
  • This principle has driven the development of billion- and trillion-parameter transformer models that form the backbone of modern AI systems.
    — Greg Licholai MD, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Kydd will join as co-founder, president, head of business development and International at Tastemade.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of development

Browse Nearby Words

lease
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lease. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on lease

Nglish: Translation of lease for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lease

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All