tax

¹ American  

[taks] / tæks /

noun

1. a sum of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific facilities or services, levied upon incomes, property, sales, etc.

   Synonyms:

   levy, impost, duty

2. a burdensome charge, obligation, duty, or demand.

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verb (used with object)

1. (of a government)

   1. to demand a tax from (a person, business, etc.).

   2. to demand a tax in consideration of the possession or occurrence of (income, goods, sales, etc.), usually in proportion to the value of money involved.

2. to lay a burden on; make serious demands on.

   to tax one's resources.

   Synonyms:

   stretch, tire, strain

3. to take to task; censure; reprove; accuse.

   to tax one with laziness.

4. Informal. to charge.

   What did he tax you for that?

5. Archaic. to estimate or determine the amount or value of.

verb (used without object)

1. to levy taxes.

tax- ² American  

1. variant of taxo- before a vowel.

   taxeme.

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tax British  

/ tæks /

noun

1. a compulsory financial contribution imposed by a government to raise revenue, levied on the income or property of persons or organizations, on the production costs or sales prices of goods and services, etc

2. a heavy demand on something; strain

   a tax on our resources

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verb

1. to levy a tax on (persons, companies, etc, or their incomes, etc)

2. to make heavy demands on; strain

   to tax one's intellect

3. to accuse, charge, or blame

   he was taxed with the crime

4. to determine (the amount legally chargeable or allowable to a party to a legal action), as by examining the solicitor's bill of costs

   to tax costs

5. slang to steal

tax Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing tax

• death and taxes

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Other Word Forms

• antitax adjective
• nontax noun
• nontaxer noun
• protax adjective
• retax verb (used with object)
• self-taxed adjective
• subtaxer noun
• taxer noun
• taxingly adverb
• taxless adjective
• taxlessly adverb
• taxlessness noun
• undertaxed adjective
• untax verb (used with object)
• well-taxed adjective

Etymology

Origin of tax

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English taxen, from Medieval Latin taxāre, from Latin: “to appraise, charge, estimate,” literally, “to touch repeatedly,” from tangere “to touch”; noun derivative of the verb

Explanation

A charge or fee that a government imposes on a citizen or business is called a tax. Taxes help to pay for the services people (and businesses) receive from the government. There are many different kinds of taxes—on purchases, property, and income, for example—but all tax money is meant to pay for things that benefit people in society. For example, in many places schools, road repairs, fire departments, and health care for elderly and disabled people are all paid for with money from taxes. As a verb, tax can either mean "impose a tax on" or "put a strain or burden on."

Example Sentences

There are several reasons those executives are right about this outlook, according to Kumar, who is co-leader of PwC’s national tax office and was previously a top staffer to longtime Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

In a recent survey conducted by data firm ProdPro, studio executives “overwhelmingly” said a U.S. federal incentive program that could be added on top of state tax credits would “materially increase domestic production activity.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

It generated around $630 million in revenue at a 10% earnings before interest and tax margin in fiscal 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Simon Leech, defending, said Slater did not spend the money "extravagantly" and used it to pay off household debts, including council tax.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

It was called the stamp tax because every time colonists bought a newspaper, calendar, marriage license, deck of playing cards, or pair of dice they had to pay extra for a special stamp.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

Related Words

• contribution
• cost
• duty
• expense
• fine
• levy
• price
• rate
• tariff