lend-lease

noun

: the transfer of goods and services to an ally to aid in a common cause with payment made by a return of the original items or their use in the cause or by a similar transfer of other goods and services
lend-lease transitive verb

Word History

Etymology

U.S. Lend-Lease Act (1941)

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lend-lease was in 1941

Dictionary Entries Near lend-lease

Cite this Entry

“Lend-lease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lend-lease. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on lend-lease

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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


What Did You Just Call Me?

  • brown chihuahua sitting on the floor with squinting eyes looking at the camera
  • Before we went to her house, Hannah told us her aunt was a flibbertigibbet.
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY