noun
rent
REHNT
noun
1
The regular payment a tenant makes to use someone else's property.
"The rent on the flat goes up every year."
"They split the rent three ways between roommates."
2
A tear or split in fabric or another surface.
"There was a rent in the tent that let the rain in."
verb
1
To pay for the temporary use of property, equipment, or a service.
"We rented a car for the week we were in Spain."
"She rents a small studio near the station."
2
To let someone use your property in exchange for regular payment.
"They rent out their spare room to students."
How to Use Rent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the money paid to use a place (as a noun) or the act of paying to use something temporarily (as a verb).
Common mistake
Rent (payment) and rent (a tear) are unrelated words that just happen to look the same.
Common pairings
pay rent
rent a car
rent out
back rent
Word Forms
more rent comparative, rented past tense, rents plural, rents plural, rents singular, most rent superlative
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The _____ on the flat goes up every year.
Etymology
From Old French rente, ultimately from Latin reddere, "to give back" — the same root behind render and surrender.