leased
UK[liːst]US[liːst]
adj
Rented or hired under the terms of a lease.
v
(past tense and past participle of 'lease') To have granted or taken possession of property by lease.
Morpheme Breakdown
leas
ed
leas
to let go
ed
past/adj. suffix
Etymology
The word 'leased' is built upon the core concept of "letting go" inherent in its Old English root. The verb 'lease' evolved from the idea of "releasing" property to another for a term, a specific legal and economic application of the broader act of allowing or permitting. The addition of the '-ed' suffix creates a form that functions both as the simple past tense, describing the completed action of granting a lease, and as a participial adjective, describing the state of something that has been obtained through such an agreement. Thus, the term encapsulates the concluded transaction of temporarily releasing control of an asset under contractual terms.
Analysis
Structure: leas (to let go) + ed (past/adj. suffix)
'leas' originates from Old English 'læs', a derivative of 'lætan' meaning "to let go, allow, leave behind". The '-ed' suffix is from Old English '-ed', '-od', '-ad', used to form past tenses and participles of weak verbs and subsequently adjectives.
Examples
The leased equipment must be returned in good condition.
They have leased a new office space downtown for five years.
The car is not owned but leased from the manufacturer.