ENGLISH
REFERENCE

charter

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈtʃɑɹtɝ// UK //tʃˈɑːtɐ// char·ter
  1. 1 official document (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

    a formal document from a government or ruler that gives a city, university, or company certain rights.

    a formal document issued by a sovereign or state authority, creating a public or private corporation and defining its privileges and purposes.

    Example

    The university was founded under a royal charter granted in the nineteenth century.

    Example

    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.
  2. 2 hiring transport (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the act of hiring a private plane, boat, or bus for a specific group or purpose.

    the commercial leasing or hiring of a vessel, aircraft, or other vehicle for a specific journey or period.

    Example

    The football team took a private charter to the championship game.

    Example

    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'.
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  1. 3 encouraging bad behavior (n.)
    C1 Advanced British English

    a rule or situation that makes it easy for people to do something bad or unwanted.

    a provision or set of circumstances whose unintended consequence is to facilitate or encourage an undesirable activity.

    Example

    Critics claimed the new tax law was a charter for criminals to hide their money.

    Example

    The opposition leader described the deregulation as a 'cowboy's charter' that would lead to lower safety standards across the industry.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a common rhetorical device in British political journalism, often phrased as 'a charter for [bad group/activity]'.
  2. 4 to hire a vehicle (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to pay to use a private plane, boat, or bus for a trip.

    to lease or hire a vehicle, especially a ship or aircraft, for a specific purpose or journey.

    Example

    They decided to charter a small boat to explore the islands.

    Example

    The relief agency had to charter several cargo planes to deliver emergency supplies to the remote mountain region.
  3. 5 hired or private (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    describes a plane or bus that is hired for a private group rather than a regular schedule.

    referring to a vehicle or service that is leased for a specific trip rather than operating on a fixed public schedule.

    Example

    We took a charter flight because it was cheaper than the regular airline.

    Example

    The airport has a separate terminal specifically for charter traffic and private executive jets.
Origin

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

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