Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

charter

/ˈt͡ʃɑɹtɚ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.23 in modern English

Syllables: char-ter
IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɑɹtɚ/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A document issued by some authority, creating a public or private institution, and defining its purposes and privileges.

noun

A similar document conferring rights and privileges on a person, corporation etc.

noun

A contract for the commercial leasing of a vessel, or space on a vessel.

noun

The temporary hiring or leasing of a vehicle.

noun

A deed (legal contract).

noun

A special privilege, immunity, or exemption.

noun

a provision whose unintended consequence would be to encourage an undesirable activity

British usage; Derogatory

adj

Leased or hired.

Example Sentences

"My mother, / Who has a charter to extol her blood, / When she does praise me, grieves me."
"In what Derbyshire police say amounts to a "thieves' charter," three judges ruled that because the car's identity had been changed it was impossible to trace the legal owner and therefore the person found in possession of it was entitled to keep it."

Etymology

From Middle English charter, chartre, borrowed from Old French chartre, from Latin chartula (diminutive of charta). See chart. Doublet of chartula.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: charter, chartre, chartula

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈt͡ʃɑɹtɚ/
British English: /ˈt͡ʃɑːtə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

charters (plural) chartre (alternative, obsolete) charters (present, singular) chartering (participle, present) chartered (participle, past) chartered (past)

Derived Forms

charterage charterhouse charterial charterless chartermaster charterable charterer recharter

Phrases

Blackmailer’s Charter charter change charter court charter master charter member charter party charter-party time charter

Synonyms

chirograph lease rent hire engage take

Rhymes With

carter starter non-starter smarter kickstarter martyr barter garter tartar mccarter darter harter

Questions

How do you pronounce charter?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃɑɹtɚ/.
What does charter mean?: A document issued by some authority, creating a public or private institution, and defining its purposes and privileges.
Where does charter come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce charter

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “charter”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈt͡ʃɑɹtɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “charter” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.