duty-free

American  

[doo-tee-free, dyoo-] / ˈdu tiˈfri, ˈdyu- /

adjective

1. free of customs duty or tax on imported or exported goods.

   duty-free cargo; merchandise shipped duty-free.

2. pertaining to or selling goods for import or export free of the usual customs duty.

   a duty-free shop at the airport.

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duty-free British  

adjective

1. with exemption from customs or excise duties

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noun

1. goods sold in a duty-free shop

Etymology

Origin of duty-free

1680–90; duty (in the sense “an import or export tax”) + -free

Example Sentences

After duty-free spending in Hainan fell 29.3% in 2024, Beijing raised the stakes by turning the island into a bigger test for tax breaks, tariff-free access and selective economic opening.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

"The clear message from Terminal 3 is 'yes, we can carry out major projects in Germany,'" said Stefan Schulte, CEO of airport operator Fraport, speaking from the site's duty-free area.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Covid had a big impact on King Power - the duty-free retailer owned by Vichai - as airline travel halted.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Continued travel disruption from the war, which has forced Gulf hub airports to close and locked airlines out of the region, is weighing on Pernod’s travel-retail division, which includes duty-free sales at airports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 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