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sublease

American  
[suhb-lees, suhb-lees] / ˈsʌbˌlis, sʌbˈlis /

noun

  1. a lease granted by one who is already a lessee of a property, as an apartment.

verb (used with object)

subleased, subleasing

  1. to grant a sublease of.

  2. to take or hold a sublease of.

sublease British  
/ ˌsʌblɛˈsiː, ˌsʌblɛˈsɔː /

noun

  1. a lease of property made by a person who is himself a lessee or tenant of that property

"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

verb

  1. to grant a sublease of (property); sublet

  2. (tr) to take, obtain, or hold by sublease

"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

Other Word Forms

  • sublessee noun
  • sublessor noun

Etymology

Origin of sublease

First recorded in 1820–30; sub- + lease 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was jailed for convictions including several peaceful protests and a fraud charge related to a sublease of his media company’s offices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

I moved into a little sublease on Fairfax, and my parents were super-worried about me.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2024

Earlier this year, the developer completed the 330,000-square-foot Block 6 building, which Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton confirmed the company is trying to sublease.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 6, 2023

The complaint said Atlas sought last year to terminate the sublease early.

From Reuters • Sep. 29, 2023

A transfer by the lessee of the whole or a part of his interest for a part of the time is a sublease and not an assignment.

From Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman by Bolles, Albert Sidney

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.