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

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
Yes, really… Wells' story got an unlikely new lease of life in the late 1970s when an American composer made a concept album that found its way into millions of record collections in the UK. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 July 2026 The nonprofit Siesta Valley Foundation that procured the facility’s lease from EBMUD is responsible for the conservation program. Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Verb
Local first-quarter net absorption, the difference between space leased and vacated, and often a sign of turnover, was a negative 179,000 square feet. Hang Nguyen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026 It had been once used as a vault facility by Capitol Records and, in the 2000s, Playboy had leased the complex for its TV group, with Hugh Hefner said to keep an office on the campus. Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lease
Noun
  • Future solar missions are now going to have to start taking dust into account, said Ayaz, with dedicated detectors designed to measure dust's properties close to the Sun.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 7 July 2026
  • The address of that property, the Carmel Pines Apartments at 1770 Carmel Drive in Walnut Creek, also is listed on a subpoena issued to Contra Costa County.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • Swimply, an Airbnb-style company, is letting people rent out pools and other private spaces, such as tennis and basketball courts.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 July 2026
  • Giordani is also renting out her two-bedroom tiny home during the World Cup.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Participants in the civil proceedings can hire private stenographers to maintain a record of what’s said, but their services can run thousands of dollars a day.
    Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Under basic labor law, MLB could hire temporary workers during a lockout, but that is not going to happen.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • The Arkansas Economic Development Commission said Thursday that the zones are economically distressed census tracts that are designated to encourage long-term private investment in local communities through federal tax incentives.
    Dylan Sherman, Arkansas Online, 2 July 2026
  • Additionally, first-time homebuyers in some census tracts can get up to $8,000 with the Flagstar Power-Up program.
    Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • After nine years playing in the majors, Hoffman took up coaching in the Dodgers’ minor league farm system, splitting time between managing and coordinating field instruction for player development.
    Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Georgia leads the nation in data center development, and the surge in construction of such power-hungry computing campuses has put pressure on utilities to supply enough electrons to power them.
    Drew Kann, AJC.com, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Lease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lease. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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