lease

lease — noun

1. a written contract that gives someone the right to use a house, a piece of land,

1.nounB1
Definition

a written contract that gives someone the right to use a house, a piece of land, a car, or equipment for a set period by paying the owner regularly

Example

Christopher signed the lease for his first apartment after weeks of searching.

sign the lease for [property]

The lease on the shop clearly states that the landlord must fix any broken pipes.

Common collocations
  • sign a lease
  • draw up a lease
  • renew a lease
  • break a lease
  • lease expires
  • lease on
  • under a lease
  • the terms of the lease
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

lease + on + [property]

sign + lease

Usage Note

A lease is a formal document, so verbs like sign, draw up, renew, and break are commonly used with this sense. The preposition on often follows lease to name the property (the lease on the house).

Common Mistakes

I want to lease this room at the hotel for one night.
I want to rent this room at the hotel for one night.
Lease implies a formal written contract for a fixed period (usually months or years), not a short hotel stay.

2. a house, building, or piece of land that someone is living in or using under a l

2.nounC1
Definition

a house, building, or piece of land that someone is living in or using under a lease contract, rather than owning it

Example

The building on Maple Avenue is a lease held by the dental clinic.

a lease held by [organization]

Emre manages over twenty commercial leases across three different cities.

Common collocations
  • hold a lease
  • manage a lease
  • commercial lease
  • vehicle lease
  • long-term lease
Synonyms
  • rental property

    less formal; commonly used for houses and apartments

  • leased asset

    used in business or accounting contexts for equipment or vehicles

Grammar Patterns

[number] + lease + of + [property type]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 refers to the document itself (the lease agreement), while sense 2 refers to the actual property or asset being used under that document.

3. an expression meaning a positive change that makes someone or something feel fre

3.nounB2
Definition

an expression meaning a positive change that makes someone or something feel fresh and energetic again, as if starting a new and better life

Example

The morning walks gave Grandfather a new lease of life after his illness.

give + [sb] + a new lease of life

Government funding gave the old theatre a new lease of life as an arts centre.

Common collocations
  • give a new lease of life
  • bring a new lease of life
  • a new lease on life (US)
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

give + [sb/sth] + a new lease of life

Usage Note

This idiom is always singular and typically follows give or bring. In American English, the more common form is a new lease on life.

Common Mistakes

The new job gave her new leases of life.
The new job gave her a new lease of life.
Always use the singular form; it is a fixed idiom.
Idioms

a (new) lease of life

idiom

An improvement that makes something or someone feel more alive or useful again.

After fixing the old engine, the car got a new lease of life.

Did the renovation give the building a lease of life?

lease — verb

Word family

  • lessor
    nounC1
  • lessee
    nounC1
  • leasable
    adjectiveC2
  • sublease
    verbC1
  • sublease
    nounC1
  • leasehold
    nounC2
  • leaseholder
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Lease, rent, hire, and let all describe paying to use something that belongs to someone else, but they differ in formality, duration, and regional use. Lease is the most formal and typically implies a written contract for a fixed period of months or years — you lease a flat for a year, but you rent a hotel room for a night. Rent is the most common and flexible word; it works for both long and short periods. Hire is common in British English for vehicles, tools, or equipment (hire a car, hire a ladder). Let is primarily British and refers to the owner's side of the arrangement (the landlord lets the flat). For example: 'Niran leased the office space for three years.' 'We rented a car for the weekend trip.' 'The shop hires out power tools by the day.'

rent ↗hire ↗let ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • sign a lease
  • renew a lease
  • the terms of the lease

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchAnglo-FrenchEnglish

Lease entered English from Anglo-French les (a letting), derived from Old French laissier (to let go, to leave), which traces back to Latin laxare (to loosen, to let go). The word originally carried the sense of 'letting go' or 'releasing' property to someone else's use — a meaning that still sits at the heart of the modern legal term.