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

• (RP) IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɑːtə/
• (America) IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɑɹtɚ/

charter (plural charters)

1. A document issued by some authority, creating a public or private institution, and defining its purposes and privileges.
2. A similar document conferring rights and privileges on a person, corporation etc.
3. A contract for the commercial leasing of a vessel, or space on a vessel.
4. The temporary hiring or leasing of a vehicle.
5. A deed legal contract.
6. A special privilege, immunity, or exemption.
   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ix]:

     My mother, / Who has a charter to extol her blood, / When she does praise me, grieves me.

7. (UK, pejorative, in a noun phrase with another noun which is either an agent or action) a provision whose unintended consequence would be to encourage an undesirable activity

• (signed document) chirograph (obsolete)

• French: charte
• German: Charta
• Italian: carta
• Portuguese: procuração
• Russian: уста́в
• Spanish: carta fundacional

• French: charte
• German: Charta
• Italian: carta
• Portuguese: carta, alvará
• Russian: гра́мота

• Russian: ча́ртер

• Portuguese: frete
• Russian: наём
• Spanish: fletamento, flete, alquilado

charter (not comparable)

1. Leased or hired.

• Russian: ча́ртерный

charter (charters, present participle chartering; simple past and past participle chartered)

1. (transitive) To grant or establish a charter.
2. (transitive) To lease or hire something by charter.
3. (transitive, Canada, law) (of a peace officer) To inform (an arrestee) of their constitutional rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms upon arrest.

• French: affretter (2)

• Portuguese: fretar

1. Surname.