charter
CHAH-tuh
Charter (noun) means an official document that creates an organisation or grants specific rights, freedoms, or powers. Example: “The city charter dates back to the 1800s.”
noun
1
An official document that creates an organisation or grants specific rights, freedoms, or powers.
"The city charter dates back to the 1800s."
"The club's charter says every member must have an equal vote."
"The town received its charter and gained the right to hold a weekly market."
2
The renting or hiring of a vehicle, boat, or plane for private or exclusive use.
"They booked a private charter to fly to the island."
"A yacht charter is a lovely way to explore the coast."
"The price of the charter included the pilot and the fuel."
verb
1
To rent or hire a vehicle, boat, or plane for exclusive use.
"The company chartered a bus to take employees to the conference."
"We chartered a small boat to visit the quiet islands."
"Our family chartered a coach to take everyone to the wedding."
2
To officially establish or grant rights to an organisation.
"The university was chartered by royal decree in 1636."
"The king chartered the guild so its members could trade freely in the city."
"The group was chartered as a charity and began raising money."
How to use charter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA formal founding document, or to rent a vehicle/vessel exclusively.
Common pairings
charter flight
charter a boat
company charter
founding charter
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Word forms
- Plural
- charters
- Third person singular
- charters
- Past tense
- chartered
Fill the gap
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The city _____ dates back to the 1800s.
Etymology
From Old French chartre, from Latin chartula, a diminutive of charta — related to "chart," and a doublet of "chartula."
Related words
Rhymes for charter
See all rhymes for charter →Frequently asked questions
What does “charter” mean?
The word “charter” means an official document that creates an organisation or grants specific rights, freedoms, or powers. In plain terms, a formal founding document, or to rent a vehicle/vessel exclusively.
How do you pronounce “charter”?
“Charter” is pronounced CHAH-tuh (/ˈt͡ʃɑɹtɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “charter” in a sentence?
Here is “charter” used in a sentence: “The city charter dates back to the 1800s.”
What part of speech is “charter”?
Depending on how it is used, “charter” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “charter” come from?
The word “charter” comes from Latin. From Old French chartre, from Latin chartula, a diminutive of charta — related to "chart," and a doublet of "chartula.".
Is “charter” a common word?
“Charter” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
How many meanings does “charter” have?
“Charter” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an official document that creates an organisation or grants specific rights, freedoms, or powers.
What is the difference between a 'charter' and a 'constitution'?
Both are founding documents, but a charter typically creates an organisation or grants specific rights, freedoms, or powers to it. A constitution sets out the fundamental rules and governing structure of a state or body, so a charter often establishes something that a constitution then governs.
What is the difference between a charter flight and a scheduled flight?
This uses the sense of charter as the renting of a vehicle, boat, or plane for private or exclusive use. A charter flight is booked for a specific group's exclusive use on their chosen route, whereas a scheduled flight runs on a fixed public timetable open to any ticket buyer.
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