lease

¹ American  

[lees] / lis /

noun

1. a contract renting land, buildings, etc., to another; a contract or instrument conveying property to another for a specified period or for a period determinable at the will of either lessor or lessee in consideration of rent or other compensation.

2. the property leased.

3. the period of time for which a lease is made.

   a five-year lease.

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verb (used with object)

leased, leasing

1. to grant the temporary possession or use of (lands, tenements, etc.) to another, usually for compensation at a fixed rate; let.

   She plans to lease her apartment to a friend.

2. to take or hold by lease.

   He leased the farm from the sheriff.

   Synonyms:

   hire, charter, rent

verb (used without object)

leased, leasing

1. to grant a lease; let or rent.

   to lease at a lower rental.

idioms

1. a new lease on life, a chance to improve one's situation or to live longer or more happily.

   Plastic surgery gave him a new lease on life.

lease ² American  

[lees] / lis /

noun

Textiles.

1. a system for keeping the warp in position and under control by alternately crossing the warp yarn over and under the lease rods.

2. the order of drawing in the warp ends.

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lease ¹ British  

/ liːs /

noun

1. a contract by which property is conveyed to a person for a specified period, usually for rent

2. the instrument by which such property is conveyed

3. the period of time for which it is conveyed

4. a prospect of renewed health, happiness, etc

   a new lease of life

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verb

1. to grant possession of (land, buildings, etc) by lease

2. to take a lease of (property); hold under a lease

lease ² British  

/ liːz /

noun

1. dialect open pasture or common

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lease Cultural  

1. A contract that grants possession of property for a specified period of time in return for some kind of compensation.

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lease More Idioms  

1. see new lease on life.

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Other Word Forms

• leasable
  adjective
• leaseless
  adjective
• leaser
  noun
• unleasable
  adjective
• unleased
  adjective
• well-leased
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of lease¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English les, from Anglo-French les, Old French lais, leis, noun derivative of lesser “to lease,” literally, “let go,” ultimately from Latin laxāre to release; see also lax

Origin of lease²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lese “length or coil of thread,” variant of lesh leash

Explanation

To lease something is to borrow it in exchange for money. If you lease a car from a dealer, for example, you make payments and you get to drive the car, but at the end of the contract you have to give it back. As a noun, a lease is both the thing you are contracting to rent (the car itself is a lease) and the contract spelling out the terms of use — in other words, a rental agreement. Be sure to check the fine print on your apartment lease to avoid any unpleasant surprises when you move out — like owing money for painting over that hideous wallpaper in the living room.

Example Sentences

Lease documents show that the then Duke of York took on the tenancy of East Lodge in February 1998, paying an initial £3,500 annual rent to the Crown Estate.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Lease agreements typically include a mileage limit, so exceeding it results in an excess mileage charge, according to Consumer Reports.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026

And Visma Lease a Bike said it was "nothing new, a method used for decades to measure the effects of altitude training".

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2025

Lease payments are often lower than loan payments, since you’re not paying principal.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2024

Thy Lease of Years expire apace; and, Faustus, then thou must be Lucifers: Here rest my Soul, and in my Sleep my future State be buried.

From The Life and Death of Doctor Faustus Made into a Farce by Mountfort, William

Related Words

• charter
• hire
• rent out
• sublet