rent

¹ American  

[rent] / rɛnt /

noun

1. a payment made periodically by a tenant to a landlord in return for the use of land, a building, an apartment, an office, or other property.

2. a payment or series of payments made by a lessee to an owner in return for the use of machinery, equipment, etc.

3. Economics. the excess of the produce or return yielded by a given piece of cultivated land over the cost of production; the yield from a piece of land or real estate.

4. profit or return derived from any differential advantage in production.

5. Obsolete. revenue or income.

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verb (used with object)

1. to grant the possession and enjoyment of (property, machinery, etc.) in return for the payment of rent from the tenant or lessee (often followed byout ).

2. to take and hold (property, machinery, etc.) in return for the payment of rent to the landlord or owner.

   Synonyms:

   lease, let, lease

verb (used without object)

1. to be leased or let for rent.

   This apartment rents cheaply.

2. to lease or let property.

3. to take possession of and use property by paying rent.

   She rents from a friend.

idioms

1. for rent, available to be rented, as a home or store.

   an apartment for rent.

rent ² American  

[rent] / rɛnt /

noun

1. an opening made by rending or tearing; slit; fissure.

   Synonyms:

   fracture, rupture, rip, cleft, rift, split, tear

2. a breach of relations or union between individuals or groups; schism.

   Synonyms:

   separation, division

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verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of rend.

rent ¹ British  

/ rɛnt /

noun

1. a payment made periodically by a tenant to a landlord or owner for the occupation or use of land, buildings, or by a user for the use of other property, such as a telephone

2. economics

   1. that portion of the national income accruing to owners of land and real property

   2. the return derived from the cultivation of land in excess of production costs

   3. See economic rent

3. available for use and occupation subject to the payment of rent

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verb

1. (tr) to grant (a person) the right to use one's property in return for periodic payments

2. (tr) to occupy or use (property) in return for periodic payments

3. to be let or rented (for a specified rental)

rent ² British  

/ rɛnt /

noun

1. a slit or opening made by tearing or rending; tear

2. a breach or division, as in relations

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verb

1. the past tense and past participle of rend

Related Words

See hire.

Other Word Forms

• rentability
  noun
• rentable
  adjective
• unrentable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of rent¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English noun rent(e), from Old French from unattested Vulgar Latin rendita, feminine past participle of unattested rendere; verb derivative of the noun; see origin at render ¹

Origin of rent²

First recorded in 1325–75 for verb sense; 1525–35 rent ² for def. 1; Middle English; see rend

Explanation

To rent something is to pay money to use it, live in it, or borrow it. If you're not sure which musical instrument you'll stick with and enjoy playing, it's best to rent a few to try out before buying. Rent is both a verb and a noun for borrowing or leasing something. If you rent an apartment, you pay money to live there, and that money is also rent. You can rent many things, from skates at a roller rink to furniture for the home you rent. You don't own things you rent — you just use them temporarily. A rent is also a rip: "She fell and tore a big rent in one knee of her jeans."

Example Sentences

Rent a Bike – Madison is one of the most bikable cities in the country, with more than 200 miles of trails.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

According to new analysis from Generation Rent, a campaign group that advocates for private renters:

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

At the conference, American Homes 4 Rent CEO Bryan Smith said the company’s government affairs team is “highly engaged at the federal, state, and local levels.”

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Rent the Runway, which has subscription offerings ranging from roughly $110 to $375 a month, has struggled to attract shoppers in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

At last, he took down the For Sale sign and put up a For Rent sign.

From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech

Related Words

• borrow
• charter
• hire
• lease
• sublet