charter

[ chahr-ter ]
See synonyms for: chartercharteredchartering on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a document, issued by a sovereign or state, outlining the conditions under which a corporation, colony, city, or other corporate body is organized, and defining its rights and privileges.

  2. (often initial capital letter) a document defining the formal organization of a corporate body; constitution: the Charter of the United Nations.

  1. authorization from a central or parent organization to establish a new branch, chapter, etc.

  2. a grant by a sovereign power creating a corporation, as the royal charters granted to British colonies in America.

  3. Also called charter party. a contract by which part or all of a ship is leased for a voyage or a stated time.

  4. a tour, vacation, or trip by charter arrangement: The travel agency is offering charters to Europe and the Caribbean.

  5. special privilege or immunity.

verb (used with object)
  1. to establish by charter: to charter a bank.

  2. to lease or hire for exclusive use: The company will charter six buses for the picnic.

  1. to give special favor or privilege to.

adjective
  1. of or relating to a method of travel in which the transportation is specially leased or hired for members of a group or association: a charter flight to Europe.

  2. that can be leased or hired for exclusive or private use: a charter boat for deep-sea fishing.

  1. done or held in accordance with a charter: a charter school.

Origin of charter

1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English chartre from Old French from Latin chartul(a) “little paper,” equivalent to chart(a) (see charta) + -ula -ule

synonym study For charter

9. See hire.

Other words from charter

  • char·ter·a·ble, adjective
  • char·ter·age, noun
  • char·ter·er, noun
  • char·ter·less, adjective
  • re·char·ter, verb (used with object), noun
  • subcharter, noun, verb

Words that may be confused with charter

Words Nearby charter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use charter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for charter

charter

/ (ˈtʃɑːtə) /


noun
  1. a formal document from the sovereign or state incorporating a city, bank, college, etc, and specifying its purposes and rights

  2. (sometimes capital) a formal document granting or demanding from the sovereign power of a state certain rights or liberties

  1. a document issued by a society or an organization authorizing the establishment of a local branch or chapter

  2. a special privilege or exemption

  3. (often capital) the fundamental principles of an organization; constitution: the Charter of the United Nations

    • the hire or lease of transportation

    • the agreement or contract regulating this

    • (as modifier): a charter flight

  4. a law, policy, or decision containing a loophole which allows a specified group to engage more easily in an activity considered undesirable: a beggars' charter

  5. maritime law another word for charterparty

verb(tr)
  1. to lease or hire by charterparty

  2. to hire (a vehicle, etc)

  1. to grant a charter of incorporation or liberties to (a group or person)

Origin of charter

1
C13: from Old French chartre, from Latin chartula a little paper, from charta leaf of papyrus; see chart

Derived forms of charter

  • charterer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012