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.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday the country should "prepare" for the possibility of being removed from Washington's duty-free trade programme for Africa, as ties between the two nations continue to fray.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
It’s China’s duty-free retail mecca and a tropical oasis, to boot.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
The pressure could intensify as Bangladesh is set to lose the duty-free preferential market access it enjoys in Europe and other countries because its status as a least-developed country is scheduled to expire in 2029.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
At the same time, the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a Clinton-era law that provides duty-free U.S. market access for some products from sub-Saharan countries, remains shaky.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 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
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
