lease 1 of 2

Definition of leasenext

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

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

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

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

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 lease
Noun
So the agency put the entire 1,000-acre Moffett Field up for a competitive lease, with restoration of Hangar One as a condition. New Atlas, 3 Apr. 2026 The sheer size of the 150-acre stadium, Aitken said, as well as the baseball team’s running lease on the property, could make those conversations tricky. Victoria Le, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
The shopping center is 100% leased. Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026 Authorities say license plate reader data shows several defendants traveling together from Memphis to Dallas, and rental records indicate that Williams’s father leased a vehicle used by the group. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lease
Noun
  • The property — a 1930s duplex featuring a two-bedroom, one-bath main house with a Spanish barrel tile roof and a towering mango tree, plus two separate efficiencies — is one of many sites affected by gas leak contamination that became endemic during the 1980s.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
  • What’s more, onions and other alliums have natural antibacterial properties that may inhibit the nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the roots of legume plants.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The idea behind the West Dade Government Center is to find a permanent home for the county’s permitting center, which currently rents office space at a strip mall in the Tamiami area.
    Douglas Hanks April 8, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
  • The share of adults 65 and over looking to rent with a roommate has tripled in the past decade, according to the listings site SpareRoom.
    Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Nick Serrano, Gloria’s deputy chief of staff, says there has also been a concerted effort by the administration to discourage department heads from hiring program managers and program coordinators unless absolutely necessary.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Director Paul Feig's take on the story of a live-in maid hired to work for a wealthy family with a big secret has earned $400 million globally at the box office.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In recent years, Utah’s senator Mike Lee has led efforts to sell off huge tracts of those lands across the West to developers.
    Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Several civic organizations are working together this spring to raise money to buy the tract at 904 High Road in a rural part of the Kensington village.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The market is still prone to big swings on developments around the war.
    Brian Dakss, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
  • New development sales at that level have also picked up, suggesting that well-priced, turnkey properties are still finding buyers.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lease. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.

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