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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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

---

lease Cultural  

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

---

lease More Idioms  

1. see new lease on life.

---

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; lax

Origin of lease²

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

Example Sentences

Despite this, Harris couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, so she tried to back out of the lease.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The carrier initially agreed to pay the government $18 billion over the life of its contract, which runs to 2042, to lease spectrum for FirstNet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

One-quarter of CoreWeave’s revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025 went toward paying interest on its $30 billion in debt and lease liabilities.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

“The first lease is not just a milestone, it will define the benchmark for every agreement that follows, and we intend to get it right,” Neugebauer wrote.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

I found a small building near downtown Montgomery, and in the summer of 1989 we signed a lease.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• charter
• hire
• rent out
• sublet