customs

British  

/ ˈkʌstəmz /

noun

1. duty on imports or exports

2. the government department responsible for the collection of these duties

3. the part of a port, airport, frontier station, etc, where baggage and freight are examined for dutiable goods and contraband

4. the procedure for examining baggage and freight, paying duty, etc

5. ( as modifier )

   customs officer

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Example Sentences

These customs fused with those of Nigeria's Yoruba people, leading to creations like the Fanti Carnival.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

“It’s obviously a pain because I have to go through customs twice each way,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Cross-border shipments swelled to $2.7 billion last year and have nearly rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, according to Chinese customs data.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

From 1998 onwards, the temporary moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions has been renewed at successive WTO ministerial conferences.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

He was smoothing the note on his palm, when a young very dark-skinned customs officer asked, “Anything to declare, sir?”

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie