charter

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A document issued by a sovereign, legislature, or other authority, creating a public or private corporation, such as a city, college, or bank, and defining its privileges and purposes.
2. n. A written grant from the sovereign power of a country conferring certain rights and privileges on a person, a corporation, or the people: A royal charter exempted the Massachusetts colony from direct interference by the Crown.
3. n. A document outlining the principles, functions, and organization of a corporate body; a constitution: the city charter.
4. n. An authorization from a central organization to establish a local branch or chapter.
5. n. Special privilege or immunity.
6. n. A contract for the commercial leasing of a vessel or space on a vessel.
7. n. The hiring or leasing of an aircraft, vessel, or other vehicle, especially for the exclusive, temporary use of a group of travelers.
8. n. A written instrument given as evidence of agreement, transfer, or contract; a deed.
9. adj. Of, relating to, or being an arrangement in which transportation is leased by a group of travelers for their exclusive, temporary use.
10. v. To grant a charter to; establish by charter.
11. v. To hire or lease by charter: charter an oil tanker.
12. v. To hire (a bus or airplane, for example) for the exclusive, temporary use of a group of travelers.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A written instrument, expressed in formal terms and formally executed, given as evidence of a grant, contract, etc.; any instrument, executed with form and solemuity, bestowing rights and privileges. In modern use the name is ordinarily applied only to government grants of powers or privileges of a permanent or continuous nature, such as incorporation, territorial dominion, or jurisdiction. As between private persons it is also loosely applied to deeds and instruments under seal for the conveyance of lands; a title-deed. Royal charters are such as are granted by sovereigns in conveying certain rights and privileges to their subjects, such as the Great Charter granted by King John (see Magna Charta, under charta), and charters granted by various sovereigns to boroughs and municipal bodies, to universities and colleges, or to colonies and foreign possessions; somewhat similar to which are charters granted by the state or legislature to banks and other companies or associations, etc. In Scots law a charter is the evidence of a grant of heritable property made under the feudal condition that the grantee shall annually pay a sum of money or perform certain services to the grantor, and it must be in the form of a written deed. The most common charters are feu charters. (See feu.) In American law a charter is a written grant from the sovereign power conferring rights or privileges upon a municipality or other corporation. The term is generally applied to the statute, letters patent, or articles of association sanctioned by statute, creating a corporation, as a city, college, stock-company, benevolent society, or social club.
2. n. Privilege; immunity; exemption.
3. n. In com.: The letting or hiring of a ship by special contract: as, a ship is offered for sale or charter. The limits or terms of such a contract. The written instrument embodying the terms of the contract.
4. n. In Eng. politics, a sort of claim of rights, or document embodying the demands or principles of the Chartists. See Chartist.
5. To hire or let by charter, as a ship. See charterparty.
6. To establish by charter: as, to charter a bank.

Wiktionary

1. n. a document issued by some authority, creating a public or private institution, and defining its purposes and privileges
2. n. a similar document conferring rights and privileges on a person, corporation etc
3. n. a contract for the commercial leasing of a vessel, or space on a vessel
4. n. the temporary hiring or leasing of a vehicle
5. n. a deed
6. adj. leased or hired
7. v. transitive to grant or establish a charter
8. v. transitive to lease or hire something by charter

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Archaic A written evidence in due form of things done or granted, contracts made, etc., between man and man; a deed, or conveyance.
2. n. An instrument in writing, from the sovereign power of a state or country, executed in due form, bestowing rights, franchises, or privileges.
3. n. An act of a legislative body creating a municipal or other corporation and defining its powers and privileges. Also, an instrument in writing from the constituted authorities of an order or society (as the Freemasons), creating a lodge and defining its powers.
4. n. A special privilege, immunity, or exemption.
5. n. (Com.) The letting or hiring a vessel by special contract, or the contract or instrument whereby a vessel is hired or let. See Charter party, below.
6. v. To establish by charter.
7. v. To hire or let by charter, as a ship. See Charter party, under Charter, n.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. grant a charter to
2. v. hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services
3. n. a document incorporating an institution and specifying its rights; includes the articles of incorporation and the certificate of incorporation
4. v. engage for service under a term of contract
5. n. a contract to hire or lease transportation