1
: a written instrument (see instrument entry 1 sense 5) 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 franchise entry 1 sense 1) 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 approved 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
Jeff Pearlman7
: 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.
Amanda Paulson et al.
chartered; chartering; charters
1
a
: to establish, enable, or convey by charter
The city was chartered in 1837.
b
British
: certify
a chartered mechanical engineer
2
: to hire, rent, or lease for usually exclusive and temporary use
chartered a boat for deep-sea fishing
: of, relating to, or being a travel arrangement in which transportation (such as a bus or plane) is hired by and for one specific group of people
a charter flight
Synonyms
Examples of charter in a Sentence
Noun
The charter allows for unrestricted trading.
Verb
The city was chartered in 1837.
The team chartered a plane.
Recent Examples on the WebSouthern Living Editors, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2023
First responders investigate a crash involving a charter bus and a semitrailer in Licking County, Ohio, on Tuesday.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023
The Pioneer Trails charter bus was transporting students from Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools at the time, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 14 Nov. 2023
The charter bus was carrying Tuscarawas Valley students and their chaperones to an Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus, according to the association and the district’s superintendent.
—Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
Today, a charter bus carrying Tusky Valley students and chaperones on the way to the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus was involved in a very serious accident.
—CBS News, 14 Nov. 2023
The original Hamas charter, or covenant, was a nine-thousand-word treatise adopted shortly after the group’s founding.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
The charter flight was heading from London's Stansted Airport to Orlando International Airport with 11 crew members and nine passengers onboard.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023
On Monday, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship assisted in evacuating US nationals from Israel to Cyprus; meanwhile, US government charter flights continue operating out of Ben Gurion Airport (located near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) to take American tourists home.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2023
Liz Young, WSJ, 27 Nov. 2023
Several were chartered by New York City’s Temple Emanu-El for D.C.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2023
The 74-year-old entrepreneur, previously the richest person in the world, has seen his wealth increase—even in the past couple of days—where the Bloomberg index chartered a surge of $1.6 billion between Oct. 15 and Oct. 16.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2023
Now that the schedule is finalized, the Aztecs can start making travel arrangements and deciding which games to fly commercial and which to charter.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2023
The cost of chartering tankers to move crude around the world has experienced extraordinary volatility in recent weeks, according to E.A. Gibson Shipbrokers.
—Joe Wallace, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
Nicaragua is using migration against the U.S. by chartering hundreds of flights to ferry migrants from Haiti and Cuba, an expert warns.
—Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 25 Oct. 2023
Pictures show Uyghurs with red flowers pinned to their jackets—a common symbol of celebration—boarding China Southern Airlines flights chartered by the authorities in Xinjiang.
—Ian Urbina, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
They were fined $500,000—the WNBA’s largest fine ever—for chartering flights for players against league rules.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2023
The Editorial Board, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2022
At the time, billionaires Mike Bloomberg and the late Eli Broad spent tens of millions of dollars promoting charter schools nationally, including large sums in Oakland to support charter schools and to ensure pro-charter candidates were elected to the board.
—Scott Wilson, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2022
New York New York: Some 51,000 more New York City students will return to in-person schooling later this month, bringing the total number of students in school buildings to 365,000 out of 960,000 non-charter public school students, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.
—From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2021
At the time, billionaires Mike Bloomberg and the late Eli Broad spent tens of millions of dollars promoting charter schools nationally, including large sums in Oakland to support charter schools and to ensure pro-charter candidates were elected to the board.
—Scott Wilson, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2022
Commercial service to Canouan, though, is spottier than ever: American Eagle no longer flies to the island, so non-charter guests are limited to scouring for seats on one of the regional airlines, such as Grenadine Air, which aren’t even loaded into most travel databases.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2022
However, on a national level, one major pro-charter school Democratic group and a billionaire pro-charter campaign funder appear to be financing the groundwork for Ellison’s campaign — even though both Ellison and Romero support charter schools.
—Kaylee Poche, NOLA.com, 24 Nov. 2020
The teacher group also criticized Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and a member of Walmart’s Walton family for large donations to pro-charter PACs.
—Dallas News, 25 Feb. 2022
There has, however, been a lot of scrutiny over how celebs choose to travel since so many of them charter private jets even for short distances.
—Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 5 Sep. 2022
See More
Noun
Lazy Dog Kayaking and Paddleboarding offers group tours and private charters, plus fun classes like PaddleYoga.
02
Climb the Key West Lighthouse
Pay homage to Key West's maritime heritage with a trip to the Key West Lighthouse & Museum.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2023
First responders investigate a crash involving a charter bus and a semitrailer in Licking County, Ohio, on Tuesday.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023
The Pioneer Trails charter bus was transporting students from Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools at the time, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 14 Nov. 2023
The charter bus was carrying Tuscarawas Valley students and their chaperones to an Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus, according to the association and the district’s superintendent.
—Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
Today, a charter bus carrying Tusky Valley students and chaperones on the way to the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus was involved in a very serious accident.
—CBS News, 14 Nov. 2023
The original Hamas charter, or covenant, was a nine-thousand-word treatise adopted shortly after the group’s founding.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
The charter flight was heading from London's Stansted Airport to Orlando International Airport with 11 crew members and nine passengers onboard.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023
On Monday, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship assisted in evacuating US nationals from Israel to Cyprus; meanwhile, US government charter flights continue operating out of Ben Gurion Airport (located near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) to take American tourists home.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2023
Verb
The retailer, one of several that chartered ships in 2021 to get around port bottlenecks, ended up overstocked last year with goods such as comfortable clothes and small appliances that were popular during the pandemic but fell out of fashion as consumers returned to offices and restaurants.
—Liz Young, WSJ, 27 Nov. 2023
Several were chartered by New York City’s Temple Emanu-El for D.C.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2023
The 74-year-old entrepreneur, previously the richest person in the world, has seen his wealth increase—even in the past couple of days—where the Bloomberg index chartered a surge of $1.6 billion between Oct. 15 and Oct. 16.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2023
Now that the schedule is finalized, the Aztecs can start making travel arrangements and deciding which games to fly commercial and which to charter.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2023
The cost of chartering tankers to move crude around the world has experienced extraordinary volatility in recent weeks, according to E.A. Gibson Shipbrokers.
—Joe Wallace, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
Nicaragua is using migration against the U.S. by chartering hundreds of flights to ferry migrants from Haiti and Cuba, an expert warns.
—Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 25 Oct. 2023
Pictures show Uyghurs with red flowers pinned to their jackets—a common symbol of celebration—boarding China Southern Airlines flights chartered by the authorities in Xinjiang.
—Ian Urbina, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
They were fined $500,000—the WNBA’s largest fine ever—for chartering flights for players against league rules.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2023
Adjective
Charter school performance was uneven, but in at least 11 states charter fourth graders outperformed their non-charter counterparts in math in 2022, including in Alaska (+16 points), Nevada (+12 points) and North Carolina (+21 points).
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2022
At the time, billionaires Mike Bloomberg and the late Eli Broad spent tens of millions of dollars promoting charter schools nationally, including large sums in Oakland to support charter schools and to ensure pro-charter candidates were elected to the board.
—Scott Wilson, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2022
New York New York: Some 51,000 more New York City students will return to in-person schooling later this month, bringing the total number of students in school buildings to 365,000 out of 960,000 non-charter public school students, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.
—From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2021
At the time, billionaires Mike Bloomberg and the late Eli Broad spent tens of millions of dollars promoting charter schools nationally, including large sums in Oakland to support charter schools and to ensure pro-charter candidates were elected to the board.
—Scott Wilson, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2022
Commercial service to Canouan, though, is spottier than ever: American Eagle no longer flies to the island, so non-charter guests are limited to scouring for seats on one of the regional airlines, such as Grenadine Air, which aren’t even loaded into most travel databases.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2022
However, on a national level, one major pro-charter school Democratic group and a billionaire pro-charter campaign funder appear to be financing the groundwork for Ellison’s campaign — even though both Ellison and Romero support charter schools.
—Kaylee Poche, NOLA.com, 24 Nov. 2020
The teacher group also criticized Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and a member of Walmart’s Walton family for large donations to pro-charter PACs.
—Dallas News, 25 Feb. 2022
There has, however, been a lot of scrutiny over how celebs choose to travel since so many of them charter private jets even for short distances.
—Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 5 Sep. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'charter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English chartre, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin chartula, from Latin, diminutive of charta — see chart entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1920, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of charter was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing charter
Articles Related to charter
Dictionary Entries Near charter
Cite this Entry
“Charter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charter. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
charter
1 of 3 noun
char·ter
ˈchärt-ər 
1
: an official document granting, guaranteeing, or showing the limits of the rights and duties of the group to which it is given
2
: a contract by which owners of a ship lease it to others
3
: a charter travel arrangement
charter
2 of 3 verb1
: to grant a charter to
2
: to hire (as a ship or a bus) for temporary use
charter
3 of 3 adjective
: of, relating to, or being a travel arrangement in which transportation (as a bus or plane) is hired by and for a specific group of people
a charter flight
Legal Definition
charter
1 of 2 noun
char·ter
1
a
: a grant or guarantee of rights, powers, or privileges from an authority or agency of a state or country
a state bank charter
compare constitution
b
: a written instrument that creates and defines the powers and privileges of a city, educational institution, or corporation compare articles of incorporation
2
: a written instrument from the authorities of a society creating a lodge, branch, or chapter
3
: a lease of a ship especially for the delivery of cargo
called also charter party
charter
2 of 2 transitive verb1
: to establish, enable, or convey by charter
charter a bank
2
: to lease or hire for usually exclusive and temporary use
charter a ship
Etymology
Noun
Old French chartre letter, formal document, from Late Latin chartula, from Latin, diminutive of charta sheet of papyrus
More from Merriam-Webster on charter
Nglish: Translation of charter for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of charter for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about charter
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