duty-free
Americanadjective
-
free of customs duty or tax on imported or exported goods.
duty-free cargo; merchandise shipped duty-free.
-
pertaining to or selling goods for import or export free of the usual customs duty.
a duty-free shop at the airport.
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of duty-free
1680–90; duty (in the sense “an import or export tax”) + -free
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s China’s duty-free retail mecca and a tropical oasis, to boot.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
The agreement will lower tariffs on more products, and give duty-free access to pasta, chocolate, potatoes, canned peaches, eggs and certain poultry products.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
And it will lower tariffs on more products, and give duty-free access to pasta, chocolate, potatoes, canned peaches, eggs and certain poultry products.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
However, a consistent duty-free regime across such a heterogenous continent could result in uneven gains, Johnston notes.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
Private enterprise was supposed to build an industrial duty-free port in Bolivia Mar. Thus far the free market has not accepted the challenge.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
