Let: meaning, definitions and examples

This is an informal word, often used in everyday conversation to mean giving permission or allowing something to happen.

• I will let you borrow my book.
• He let the kids play outside.

This word is more formal than 'let' and is used to indicate giving permission, often in rules or instructions.

• The teacher allowed the students to leave early.
• Smoking is not allowed in the building.

This word is formal and often used in legal, official, or regulatory contexts to indicate giving permission.

• The city council permitted the construction of the new building.
• You need a permit to park here.

This word generally means to make something possible or to provide the means for something to happen.

• The new software will enable us to work more efficiently.
• Good communication enables better teamwork.

This is a formal and legal term, often used in official or legal contexts to indicate giving official permission or power to someone.

• The manager authorized the purchase.
• Only the director can authorize this transfer.

This term is typically used in British English when a landlord allows a tenant to live in their property in exchange for rent. It is more formal and often used in legal or professional contexts.

• The landlord decided to let the apartment for a year.
• The estate agent will let you know when the flat is available.

This word is commonly used in American English for paying to use someone else's property, like houses, apartments, or cars, often without the formal connotations of 'lease' and can be used for shorter terms.

• I need to rent an apartment in the city.
• They rented a cabin for the weekend.

This term is used in a formal and legal context for renting property, often for a longer term than renting. It involves a contract between the lessor (owner) and lessee (tenant).

• We decided to lease the office space for three years.
• She signed a lease agreement for the new apartment.

Commonly used when employing someone or renting an item for a short period. This word is frequently used for services, vehicles, or equipment.

• They decided to hire a professional photographer for the wedding.
• We need to hire a car for our trip.

This term specifically refers to when someone who is already renting a property allows another person to rent part or all of the property from them. The original tenant becomes a landlord to the subtenant.

• She decided to sublet her apartment while she was abroad.
• He found someone to sublet his room for the summer.

Used to permit or allow something to happen.

• She decided to let the children play outside.
• Let me know if you need any help.

Used to describe a mistake or error, often with negative connotation.

• It was his fault that the project failed.
• She blamed herself for the fault in the report.

Used when something needs to be done again, often because it was not done correctly the first time.

• I had to redo my homework because I made a lot of mistakes.
• The designer will redo the logo to make it more modern.

Used when an event or action is shown or performed again, typically in the context of sports, music, or videos.

• They wanted to replay the last game to analyze their mistakes.
• I loved that song so much that I had to replay it.