lease

B2 Topic:Personal Finance

US /ˈliːs/ UK /liːs/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like leash /s/ vs /ʃ/ Sounds like leach /tʃ/ vs /s/

Freq #6854

Meanings

1

noun
A legal contract that lets someone use property for a set time in return for payment.

They signed a two-year lease on the flat.
2

verb
To rent property, either as the owner or the tenant, under a lease.

I'm leasing a small apartment while I'm here for work.
3

noun
The period of time that a lease lasts.

The lease runs out at the end of the year.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to rent property, either as... rent

3 noun · the period of time that a... term

More letting tenancy

Word family

Forms leasedleasesleasing

Derived forms headleaseleasablelease-lendleaseabilityleaseableleasebackleaseeleasehandleasehold leaseholderleaseholdingleaseless

Related forms lessee lessor

Appears in

Idioms (1)

See all

new lease of life
renewed energy, health, or usefulness

Etymology

From Middle English *lesen, from Anglo-Norman *leser, Old French lesser, laisier (“to let, let go”), partly from Latin laxō (“to loose”) and partly from Old High German lāzan (“to let, let go, release”) (German lassen), cognate with Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, leave, rent”) whence let.

*lesen Middle English *leser xno lesser Old French laxō Latin lāzan goh

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Personal Finance Money & Finance

External links

# lease

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈliːs/
**IPA (UK):** /liːs/
**Frequency rank:** 6854

## Meanings
1. A legal contract that lets someone use property for a set time in return for payment.
2. To rent property, either as the owner or the tenant, under a lease.
3. The period of time that a lease lasts.

## Examples
- They signed a two-year lease on the flat.
- I'm leasing a small apartment while I'm here for work.
- The lease runs out at the end of the year.

## Synonyms
- letting
- tenancy

## Derived Forms
- headlease
- leasable
- lease-lend
- leaseability
- leaseable
- leaseback
- leasee
- leasehand
- leasehold
- leaseholder
- leaseholding
- leaseless

## Related Forms
- lessee
- lessor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *lesen
- Root: *leser
- Root: lesser
- Root: laxō
- Root: lāzan

## Etymology
From Middle English *lesen, from Anglo-Norman *leser, Old French lesser, laisier (“to let, let go”), partly from Latin laxō (“to loose”) and partly from Old High German lāzan (“to let, let go, release”) (German lassen), cognate with Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, leave, rent”) whence let.

## AI Etymology
Lease comes from Middle English *lesen, from Anglo-Norman *leser, Old French lesser, laisier (“to let, let go”), partly from Latin laxō (“to loose”) and partly from Old High German lāzan (“to let, let go, release”) (German lassen), cognate with Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, leave, rent”) whence let.

## Topics
- Personal Finance
- Money & Finance

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