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.

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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

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verb

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

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

Other Word Forms

• sublessee
  noun
• sublessor
  noun

Etymology

Origin of sublease

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

Example Sentences

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

In 2017, about $23 million came from a Queen Mary reserve fund and bond issue from the Queen Mary’s Carnival sublease.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2024

For example, logistics company Flexport signed a 56,000-square-foot sublease at Skyline Tower in the Bellevue commercial district in the spring, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s research.

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

Related Words

• appoint
• bring in
• draft
• employ
• engage
• enlist
• lease
• obtain
• pick
• promise
• rent
• retain
• select