Definitions
01official document
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law Formal
n. a formal document from a government or ruler that gives a city, university, or company certain rights.
n. a formal document issued by a sovereign or state authority, creating a public or private corporation and defining its privileges and purposes.
日本語:憲章※
“The university was founded under a royal charter granted in the nineteenth century.”
“The city council argued that the proposed state law violated the municipal charter established during the town's incorporation.”
Usage
Often used with 'royal' or 'municipal' to describe the founding documents of old institutions.
Synonyms
02hiring transport
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the act of hiring a private plane, boat, or bus for a specific group or purpose.
n. the commercial leasing or hiring of a vessel, aircraft, or other vehicle for a specific journey or period.
日本語:チャーター※
“The football team took a private charter to the championship game.”
“The company arranged a yacht charter for the executive retreat, ensuring complete privacy during their coastal tour.”
Usage
Commonly used as a noun adjunct, as in 'charter flight' or 'charter boat'.
03encouraging bad behavior
C1 · Advanced Countable noun British English
n. a rule or situation that makes it easy for people to do something bad or unwanted.
n. a provision or set of circumstances whose unintended consequence is to facilitate or encourage an undesirable activity.
“Critics claimed the new tax law was a charter for criminals to hide their money.”
“The opposition leader described the deregulation as a 'cowboy's charter' that would lead to lower safety standards across the industry.”
Teaching tip
This is a common rhetorical device in British political journalism, often phrased as 'a charter for [bad group/activity]'.
Synonyms
04to hire a vehicle
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to pay to use a private plane, boat, or bus for a trip.
v. to lease or hire a vehicle, especially a ship or aircraft, for a specific purpose or journey.
“They decided to charter a small boat to explore the islands.”
“The relief agency had to charter several cargo planes to deliver emergency supplies to the remote mountain region.”
05hired or private
B1 · Intermediate
adj. describes a plane or bus that is hired for a private group rather than a regular schedule.
adj. referring to a vehicle or service that is leased for a specific trip rather than operating on a fixed public schedule.
“We took a charter flight because it was cheaper than the regular airline.”
“The airport has a separate terminal specifically for charter traffic and private executive jets.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “charter” in context.
Verb
01. draft a charter
“The committee spent months drafting a charter that would define the organization's core values.”
verb + noun
02. grant a charter
“The monarch decided to grant a charter to the city, allowing it to hold its own markets.”
verb + noun
03. violate the charter
“The international court ruled that the nation's actions clearly violated the UN charter.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. private charter
“The executive team booked a private charter to ensure they arrived in time for the summit.”
adj + noun
05. royal charter
“The university was established by royal charter in the nineteenth century.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. charter flight
“We managed to secure a cheap charter flight for our summer holiday to Greece.”
noun + noun
07. charter of rights
“The new constitution includes a comprehensive charter of rights for all citizens.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
08. under the charter
“Under the charter, the council has the authority to levy local taxes.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“Arrived at the location!”
About 10,000 metres above sea level, the Spanish airline Iberia livestreamed the moment when the sun, moon and Earth aligned from a special charter flight.” “Over this same period, hundreds of charter schools have opened, which in Michigan operate as independent public school districts and receive state funding similarly to traditional public school districts.” “Those rights are protected under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” “In its charter, he insisted that this foundation exist only for a reasonable period of time .” Etymology
From Middle English charter, chartre, borrowed from Old French chartre, from Latin chartula (diminutive of charta). See chart. Doublet of chartula.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/charter
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0