Synonyms of lease

lease 1 of 2

noun

as in property

Related Words

• property
• tract
• development
• plot
• parcel
• plat
• lot
• frontage
• real estate
• patch

lease

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to rent

to give the possession and use of (something) in return for periodic payment

the landlord was willing to lease the apartment for less than we had expected

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rent
• sublease
• let
• hire
• charter
• sublet
• lodge
• engage
• rack-rent

2

as in to hire

to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum

I couldn't afford to buy a car outright, so I decided to lease one instead

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rent
• hire
• charter
• sublease
• engage
• sublet
• book
• check out
• arrange (for)
• contract (for)
• reserve
• order
• sign up (for)
• bespeak

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of lease are charter, hire, let, and rent. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," 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 charter be a good substitute for lease?

In some situations, the words charter and lease are roughly equivalent. However, charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

How are the words hire and let related as synonyms of lease?

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 rent take the place of lease?

Although the words rent and lease have much in common, 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

Recent Examples of lease

Noun

Stratham acquired a lease on just under an acre along Card Sound. — Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026

The Liverpool City Council currently holds the title to the site, where a 99-year lease was granted to the Penny Lane Development Trust. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

Paramount is taking over the Bay Theater, the long-shuttered cinema at Palisades Village formerly leased by Netflix, adding to a wave of revivals of dormant movie theaters across Los Angeles. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026

The Bay Theater was previously leased by Netflix, which took it over in 2021. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026