Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

free port

American  

noun

  1. a port or special section of a port where goods may be unloaded, stored, and shipped without payment of customs duties.

  2. a port open under equal conditions to all traders.


free port British  

noun

  1. a port open to all commercial vessels on equal terms

  2. Also called: free zone. a zone adjoining a port that permits the duty-free entry of foreign goods intended for re-export

"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

Etymology

Origin of free port

First recorded in 1705–15


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.

See Examples For:

Odesa’s free port status financed its extraordinary architectural flowering in the 1800s and helped build its vibrant multiethnic society.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2024

It may be that a free port and international status for the town, with Italian sovereignty in cultural questions, would best serve the Allied and European cause, especially during the years of transition.

From The Guardian ● May 6, 2020

A free port, sometimes called a free trade zone or special economic zone, is normally an area of a country where its taxes and tariffs do not apply.

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2018

As fascism tore apart Europe, Shanghai’s status as a free port made it a magnet for refugees.

From New York Times ● Oct. 2, 2014

Dalny, adjoining Port Arthur, was a free port during the Russian occupation; and Japan after the war decided to renew this privilege as soon as practicable.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 1 "Franciscans" to "French Language" by Various

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com