rent

³rent

Definition of RENT

past and past participle of rend

¹rent

noun \ˈrent\

Definition of RENT

1

: property (as a house) rented or for rent

2

a : a usually fixed periodical return made by a tenant or occupant of property to the owner for the possession and use thereof; especially : an agreed sum paid at fixed intervals by a tenant to the landlord

b : the amount paid by a hirer of personal property to the owner for the use thereof

3

a : the portion of the income of an economy (as of a nation) attributable to land as a factor of production in addition to capital and labor

b : economic rent

— for rent

: available for use or service in return for payment

Origin of RENT

Middle English rente, from Anglo-French, payment, income, from Vulgar Latin *rendita, from feminine of *renditus, past participle of *rendere to yield — more at render

First Known Use: 12th century

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

Rhymes with RENT

bent, Brent, cent, dent, gent, Ghent, hent, Lent, pent, scent, sent, spent, sprent, stent, tent, Trent, vent

²rent

verb

Definition of RENT

transitive verb

1

: to grant the possession and enjoyment of in exchange for rent

2

: to take and hold under an agreement to pay rent

intransitive verb

1

: to be for rent

2

a : to obtain the possession and use of a place or article in exchange for rent

b : to allow the possession and use of property in exchange for rent

— rent·abil·i·ty \ˌren-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— rent·able \ˈren-tə-bəl\ adjective

Examples of RENT

1. We rented our friends' cottage for the month of August.
2. Do you own or rent?
3. We rented them the upstairs apartment in our house.
4. The cottage rents for $400 a week.

First Known Use of RENT

15th century

Related to RENT

Synonyms

lease, let [chiefly British]

Related Words

charter, engage, hire; lodge; sublease, sublet; rack-rent

See Synonym Discussion at hire

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

⁴rent

noun

Definition of RENT

1

: an opening made by or as if by rending

2

: a split in a party or organized group : schism

3

: an act or instance of rending

Origin of RENT

English dialect rent to rend, from Middle English, alteration of renden — more at rend

First Known Use: 1535

rent

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In common usage, payment made in return for the right to use property belonging to another. In classical economics, rent was the income gained from cultivated or improved land after the deduction of all production costs. In modern economic usage, rent is the difference between the total return to a factor of production (land, labour, capital) and its supply price, the minimum amount necessary to attain its services. Rent plus opportunity cost make up the total income paid to a productive resource. Efforts made by a resource owner to obtain monopoly profit is considered rent-seeking behaviour.