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export

American  
[ik-spawrt, -spohrt, ek-spawrt, -spohrt, ek-spawrt, -spohrt] / ɪkˈspɔrt, -ˈspoʊrt, ˈɛk spɔrt, -spoʊrt, ˈɛk spɔrt, -spoʊrt /

verb (used with object)

exports, present (3rd person singular) exported, past participle, past exporting present participle
  1. to ship (commodities) to other countries or places for sale, exchange, etc.

  2. to send or transmit (ideas, institutions, etc.) to another place, especially to another country.

  3. Computers. to save (documents, data, etc.) in a format usable by another software program.


verb (used without object)

exports, present (3rd person singular) exported, past participle, past exporting present participle
  1. to ship commodities to another country for sale, exchange, etc.

noun

  1. the act of exporting; exportation.

    the export of coffee.

  2. something that is exported; an article exported.

    Coffee is a major export of Colombia.

adjective

  1. of or relating to the exportation of goods or to exportable goods.

    export duties.

  2. produced for export.

    an export beer.

export British  

noun

  1. (often plural)

    1. goods ( visible exports ) or services ( invisible exports ) sold to a foreign country or countries

    2. ( as modifier )

      an export licence

      export finance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to sell (goods or services) or ship (goods) to a foreign country or countries

  2. (tr) to transmit or spread (an idea, social institution, etc) abroad

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of export

First recorded in 1475–85; from Latin exportāre “to carry out, carry away,” from ex- ex- 1 + portāre “to carry”

Explanation

To export something is to move it from its current location to a different territory. Some have been trying to export the American diet overseas by spreading McDonald's fries around the globe. The verb export comes from the Latin word exportare which means “to carry out” or “send away.” To export something is to move it across borders. You could export locally made fabric to wealthy European cities. When something is an export, it is a good, service or idea that is sent or sold to a foreign land: diamonds are a valuable African export.

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Vocabulary lists containing export

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.

"The strong export growth shows the competitiveness of the Chinese firms in the international market," said Zhiwei Zhang of Pinpoint Asset Management.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Like other miners, Viridis initially plans to export the rare earths produced at its $360 million Colossus project.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

China’s export growth accelerated in May, with outbound shipments rising 19.4% from a year earlier, up from April’s 14.1%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Permian production bypasses Cushing on its way to Gulf refineries and to export from the newly expanded Port of Corpus Christi through pipelines, which have also been expanded.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

The wigs were so popular that the South Korean government banned the export of raw hair from its shores.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

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