charter 1 of 2

charter

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noun

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
Verb
Guests can spend the day between the beach and pool, or head out on a private yacht charter to explore the limestone cliffs and emerald coves of Phang Nga Bay. Becca Blond, AFAR Media, 7 Oct. 2025 The board also does not support the idea of switching to a completely all-charter system, as legislation submitted earlier this year had proposed. Caroline Beck, IndyStar, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
The Tillotson Collegiate and Normal Institute was chartered in 1877 with a goal of providing teacher training and quality education for African Americans. CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025 Abdullah is also a lead organizer of scout units chartered to the Islamic Center of Northern Virginia Trust and the father of three sons who — like himself — made Eagle Scout. Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for charter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charter
Verb
  • In 2019, McCarthan rented two apartments using an ID that had his photo but showed a soldier’s name and social security number.
    Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Furthermore, renting has become more affordable than buying a home in Nashville.
    Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Moscow has also touted a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) capability, enabling warheads to be placed on low-Earth orbital trajectories toward their targets, a profile that complicates early detection and interception.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
  • In analyzing dozens of hours of audio and video footage of public and private speaking events for McMahon’s appointees, as well as their writings, ProPublica found that a recurring theme is the desire to enable more families to leave public schools.
    Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Some experts hoped a potential global plastics treaty, the subject of years-long negotiations, could boost efforts to regulate harmful chemicals, but the latest round of talks collapsed in failure in August.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
  • There are also treaties and orders that focus on education and spell out the federal government’s responsibility to help coordinate and give money to support tribal education.
    Cynthia Lindquist, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The think-tank Brookings Institution offers a more glaring estimate of over seven million Americans whose work is directly supported by federal contracts or grants.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Trump officials have repeatedly cast public schools as dangerous even as the agency canceled about $1 billion in training grants for more school mental health professionals — money that had been authorized by Congress to help prevent school shootings.
    Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But while many hiring professionals are concerned about applicants using AI in the process, one leader actually hunts for talent using the tech in application rounds.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
  • For retailers, drones could help protect profits, staff, and customers without the rising costs of hiring additional guards.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Instead, the city is considering a public safety referendum, giving voters a chance to authorize the city to collect more tax dollars for a high-profile, high-demand portion of its budget.
    Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Trump then authorized National Guard troops to be sent to Illinois amid protests outside an ICE facility in Chicago.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The dedicated contract services segment is expected to show revenue of $860 million, an increase of the $846 million posted in the same quarter last year.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Oct. 2025
  • All spending was re-evaluated, vendor contracts renegotiated, staffing reduced and space consolidated to save maintenance costs.
    Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Standout additions included the Isidora pointy pumps with oblique block heels — especially striking in a bicolor patent version — and the brand’s first sneakers.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
  • San Francisco, California, came third thanks to its very high patent per-capita rates—with 806 patents issued for every 100,000 residents living there last year—and many gaming stores relative to population.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Charter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charter. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

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