lease 1 of 2

Definition of leasenext

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
The home also comes with more than 950 years left on the lease. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2026 One expert told me that, on its face, the lease deal itself didn’t raise any major flags. Kenny Torrella, Vox, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
Instead, access to that water is leased from the Ak-Chin Indian Community, which has deep legal protections on its water. Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 In exchange for leasing out part of their unlimited bandwidth to others, many get free movie and TV show streaming. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lease
Noun
  • In 2010, researchers at Northumbria University discovered that a particular species of tart cherries, the Montmorency variety, contained anti-oxidative properties because of their high levels of polyphenols — particularly a type named anthocyanins.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The van was on airport property, while the SUV was outside the airport perimeter.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Housing shortages sometimes happen when cities can’t issue residential building permits fast enough to keep vacancy rates low and rent high in a secondary market.
    Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The product pulls together data from several markets that allow users to bet on the cost to rent Nvidia chips to create an overall picture of where AI compute costs are heading.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • La Strada had served for 14 years as the Pettis County clerk, overseeing local elections, when Hoskins hired him as the state's election integrity director in January 2025.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • For employers that want to move directly from matching to interviewing, ZipIntro uses AI to identify candidates who may fit a role and helps connect them with a hiring manager for an interview without leaving the ZipRecruiter platform.
    Audrey Payne, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This insight could lead to more accurate care for those with urinary tract symptoms.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Although Salmonella primarily originates in the intestinal tracts of people and animals, including insects and birds, the bacterium is commonly found in the environment.
    Kimberly Baker, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • COnovate will use the 24-month development contract to advance commercial-scale production of its eCOphite anode material.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In other developments, Ukraine's parliament voted to dismiss Ruslan Kravchenko from the post of prosecutor general Tuesday.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Lease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lease. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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