charter

Etymology

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

noun

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.
7. (UK, derogatory, 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
   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. March 23 2001, Clare Dyer, “Stolen car ruling 'a thieves' charter'”, in The Guardian, London
   November 30 2005, Stephen Foley, “The market where 'caveat emptor' has become a charter for fraud”, in The Independent, London:

adj

1. Leased or hired.

verb

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.