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)

• leases,
  present (3rd person singular)
• leased,
  past participle,  past
• leasing
  present participle

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)

• leases,
  present (3rd person singular)
• leased,
  past participle,  past
• leasing
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• leasing
  present
• leased
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• lease
  simple
• leases
  simple
• have leased
  perfect
• has leased
  perfect
• am leasing
  progressive
• are leasing
  progressive
• is leasing
  progressive
• have been leasing
  perfect progressive
• has been leasing
  perfect progressive

Past

• leased
  simple
• had leased
  perfect
• was leasing
  progressive
• were leasing
  progressive
• had been leasing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will lease
  simple
• will have leased
  perfect
• will be leasing
  progressive
• will have been leasing
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

lease leases leased leasing

They will also pay rent to Cooper Union, a New York college that owns the land on which the Chrysler Building stands, as part of a 150-year ground lease.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Utility-scale projects like Nevada’s Mosey Solar Project and the Purple Sage Energy Center bring a number of construction jobs and lease payments to rural communities that need both.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Vroman’s second location in Hastings Ranch was forced to close in 2024 after the company was unable to reach a new lease agreement with the property owner.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

On Tuesday, a collective of shippers that aim to lower their carbon emissions announced an order for 2,500 Semi trucks, which the group intends to deploy through a fair market lease program.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

But the Metropolitans ordinarily played only in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, and when the owner of their arena did not renew their lease in 1924, the team folded.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Companies are structuring chip and electricity purchases as future leases rather than owned assets, so the liabilities don’t show up on the balance sheet.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

The state withdrew leases for iron ore and transferred them to rival iron ore miner and steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

BF Hicks, a local lawyer whose family has owned land in the county since the 1800s, says he watched neighbours sign 30-year leases with solar companies and bulldozers clear centuries-old oak trees near his property.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

"The leases, debt and power commitments remain even if expected compute demand and revenue growth slow," Ozkardeskaya said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

She was familiar with these visits, despite what leases said about limited rights of entry, and she stepped back to let Mrs. Richardson get a better view.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Those using leased carriers or independent trucks, which add their own fuel surcharges, are trying to get as close to a truckload as they can or limit smaller orders, she added.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

Your leased device has to be returned in good working condition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

The suit alleges the management company Mogul Vision leased the home and hired the in-house security guard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

The company's business includes "buying and selling of own real estate", "letting and operating of own or leased real estate" and "management of real estate on a fee or contract basis".

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

But long before the sound of their lowing and the sight of their preening, the building was leased to a Hungarian baker, modestly famous for his brioche and poppy-seed rolls.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

“The office market probably found its floor sometime last year, and we have seen some positive leasing momentum across the market.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

A few booths away, leasing managers were handing out brochures for the Byline—a new luxury apartment building.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

The leasing agents didn’t respond to my requests for comment.

From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026

Instead, it is leasing it to the private developer, which is using low-income housing tax credits and private financing to build hundreds of housing units for homeless veterans on the property.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The tribe soon began leasing areas to more and more white prospectors for exploration.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• charter
• hire
• rent out
• sublet