charter 1 of 2

Definition of charternext

charter

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word charter different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of charter are hire, lease, let, and rent. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

How do hire and let relate to one another, in the sense of charter?

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 lease take the place of charter?

While in some cases nearly identical to charter, 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 rent be a good substitute for charter?

The words rent and charter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 charter
Noun
The district boasts 33 schools in all, with more than two dozen choices for elementary education and both charter and neighborhood options for high school students. — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Introduced in 2017, the first joint charter came amid heightened concern about size-zero models. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
Rams players, however, are arriving in Melbourne just one day before the game, while their opponents chartered a plane last week and have already been acclimating to the 17-hour time zone difference. — Jessica Golden, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026 When Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso pardoned Posada and released him from prison in August 2004, Gonzalez flew him to Honduras, on a plane chartered by Alvarez. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for charter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charter
Noun
  • The sci-fi concept of a supersonic airliner became reality only after France and Britain signed a 1962 treaty to develop Concorde, jointly tackling technical quandaries commercial aviation had never faced.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Canada has one of the densest networks of co-production treaties in the world, potentially opening access to more public funding options and giving the film recognition as a national production in both countries.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Chile, for example, imposes no obligation to spend the grant at home, while France typically wants half spent in France.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • His persecution has continued up until now; last month, the administration accused the Smithsonian of discrimination and threatened to cut federal grants.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Households are paying more for everything from groceries to health care to rent and mortgages.
    — Steven John, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Skip the cardboard… Really just trust me on this one and rent reusable bins from a moving company with good reviews.
    — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • This would enable firms to communicate more effectively about issues, ensuring that any failures yield lessons that could be applied industry-wide.
    — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Trump just last month signed into law legislation that enables him to tariff the top purchasers of Russian crude oil or gas.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • International funding, Patil says, means long waits, complicated contracts and co-production treaties, and Indian filmmakers end up chasing the same grants as professionals from wealthier countries.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Thurman said Life Time has a contract with Freeman Health System for emergency medical services and is set to pay overtime for McDonald County Sheriff's Office deputies working to keep the race safe.
    — Glory Reitz, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But the patent system already has established standards and safeguards for addressing those cases.
    — Dr. Bowman Heiden, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The fact that Levi’s, the original patent makers of jeans, is still today’s leading denim brand goes to show that there’s room for all types of jeans.
    — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Chesney told fans during a UCLA men’s basketball game shortly after he was hired that the football team is playing for banners.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, public records show the firms hired to represent the officials racked up hefty legal bills, with some lawyers charging the state $800 an hour.
    — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Likewise, renewable energy in Texas didn’t take off until after the Legislature helped authorize the construction of transmission lines hundreds of miles from the windy western parts of the state to major cities such as Houston and Dallas.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • On Saturday, a missile struck a complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights and many people were wounded, a regional official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Charter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charter. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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