Definition of charter
1
: a written instrument (see 1instrument 4) or contract (such as a deed) executed in due form
2 a
: a grant or guarantee of rights, franchises, or privileges from the sovereign power of a state or country
- The charter allows for unrestricted trading.
b
: a written instrument that creates and defines the franchises (see 1franchise 2) of a city, educational institution, or corporation
- a city charter
- a corporate charter
c
: constitution
- the Charter of the United Nations
3
: a written instrument from the authorities of a society creating a lodge or branch
- The national headquarters aproved the charter establishing the local lodge.
4
: a special privilege, immunity, or exemption
5
: a mercantile lease of a ship or some principal part of it
- In the charter the ship's owner agreed to transport specified cargo to a specified port.
6 a
: a charter travel arrangement
- An agent handled the charter providing aircraft travel to and from the tournament.
b
: a chartered plane, bus, etc.
- Their charter had just landed at Toronto's Pearson International Airport and … everyone in the Mariners' traveling party had to slog through a tedious customs check and then claim his own luggage.
- —Jeff Pearlman
7
: charter school
- He pushed for the closure of Chicago's worst schools … and opened dozens of new schools, many of them charters.
- —Amanda Paulson et al.
