anti-rent
|an-ti-rent|
/ˈæn.tiˌrɛnt/
against rent / opposed to landlord rent
Etymology
'anti-rent' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') combined with the noun 'rent' (from Old French 'rente' meaning 'payment').
'rent' entered English from Old French 'rente' and Middle English 'rente' meaning a regular payment; the prefix 'anti-' came into English via Latin and French from Greek 'anti-'. These elements combined in modern English to form the compound 'anti-rent' used in the 19th century and later.
Initially a literal compound meaning 'against rent,' the term was used as the name of a specific protest movement and broadened to describe persons or attitudes opposed to rent and landlord systems.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a historical 19th-century movement (particularly in upstate New York) opposing the patroon/landlord rent system; the Anti-Rent movement or its supporters.
The anti-rent protests in the 1840s challenged the patroon system across parts of New York.
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Noun 2
a person who opposes the payment of rent or the system of landlord rent (an opponent of rent).
He became known as an anti-rent after organizing tenants to refuse the landlord's demands.
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Adjective 1
opposed to rent or the system of charging rent; showing hostility toward landlordism or rental charges.
They held an anti-rent meeting to discuss alternatives to the existing lease terms.
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Last updated: 2025/11/19 12:33