• (RP) IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɑːtə/
• (GA) 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, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [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
   • 2001 March 23, Clare Dyer "Stolen car ruling 'a thieves' charter'" ↗, The Guardian, London:

     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.

   • 2005 November 30, Stephen Foley "The market where 'caveat emptor' has become a charter for fraud" ↗ The Independent, London

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

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

• Russian: ча́ртер

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

charter (not comparable)

1. Leased or hired.

• Russian: ча́ртерный

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

1. (transitive) To grant or establish a charter.
2. (transitive) To lease or hire something by charter.

• Portuguese: fretar

1. Surname