import
Americanverb (used with object)
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imports,
present (3rd person singular)
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imported,
past participle, past
-
importing
present participle
-
to bring in (merchandise, commodities, workers, etc.) from a foreign country for use, sale, processing, reexport, or services.
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to bring or introduce from one use, connection, or relation into another.
foreign bodies imported into the blood; foodstuffs imported from the farm.
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to convey as meaning or implication; signify.
Her words imported a change of attitude.
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to involve as a necessary circumstance; imply.
Religion imports belief.
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Computers. to bring (documents, data, etc.) into one software program from another.
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Archaic. to be of consequence or importance to; concern.
verb (used without object)
-
imports,
present (3rd person singular)
-
imported,
past participle, past
-
importing
present participle
noun
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imports
plural
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something that is imported from abroad; an imported commodity or article.
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the act of importing or bringing in; importation, as of goods from abroad.
the import of foreign cars.
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consequence or importance.
matters of great import.
- Synonyms:
- sense, significance
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meaning; implication; purport.
He felt the import of her words.
verb
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to buy or bring in (goods or services) from a foreign country Compare export
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(tr) to bring in from an outside source
to import foreign words into the language
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rare to signify or be significant; mean; convey
to import doom
noun
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(often plural)
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goods ( visible imports ) or services ( invisible imports ) that are bought from foreign countries
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( as modifier )
an import licence
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significance or importance
a man of great import
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meaning or signification
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informal a sportsman or -woman who is not native to the country in which he or she plays
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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importabilitynoun
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importernoun
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nonimportnoun
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preimportnoun
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overimportverb (used with object)
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preimportverb (used with object)
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importableadjective
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unimportedadjective
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unimportingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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importsimple
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importssimple
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have importedperfect
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has importedperfect
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am importingprogressive
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are importingprogressive
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is importingprogressive
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have been importingperfect progressive
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has been importingperfect progressive
Past
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importedsimple
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had importedperfect
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was importingprogressive
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were importingprogressive
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had been importingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of import
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English importen, from Latin importāre; equivalent to im- 1 + port 5
Explanation
Imports are the products shipped into our country from other places. We import Japanese autos and export our pop music to Tokyo. Import also means to signify something. Is it of import to our economic security to have so many Japanese imports on our roads? The origins of the word import are literally "to bring into port." The ratio of imports to exports is a big indicator of the health of a nation's economy. The word import can also refer to attitudes or behaviors that come as part of the culture of a place. "New York media is dominated by British journalists who have imported the snarky style of gossip reporting famous in London."
Vocabulary lists containing import
Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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The United States
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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:
They already have sophisticated import checks that protect people and animals from disease.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Businesses that import goods embed the tariffs into their prices, sometimes in stealthy ways.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
It also doubled import taxes on steel coming into the UK above certain levels from 25% to 50%.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Retail sales rose a bigger-than-expected 1.2% for August, and import prices for the month rose 0.7%, which was higher than forecast.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
Virtually nothing of social or academic import occurred at the school without his involvement.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Cuba relies heavily on fuel imports, meaning tight US sanctions and an oil blockade since the start of the year have exacerbated existing shortages.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Chinese crude imports rose to 9 million barrels a day in August from 7.2 million in June, while ship-tracking data for the first half of September point to a further gradual increase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Total imports and exports hit $400.8 billion in January through August this year, Chinese customs data shows, a 5.4 percent rise from the same period in 2025.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Other suppliers lagged far behind: the UAE accounted for 10.8% of India's July imports, Saudi Arabia 9.6%, Venezuela 6.3%, Brazil 5.5%, Oman 5.3% and the US 2.9%.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
After several years of working for the estates, Uncle John saved enough money to start a farm imports business, buying and selling maize seed and fertilizer to the local farmers.
From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba
Chinese car companies have avoided expanding to the U.S. by and large because of the software ban and tariffs in excess of 100% on imported EVs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
By comparison, Iraq and Kuwait are more reliant on imported equipment and international oil-field service providers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The US imported about $104bn of goods from India in 2025, while two-way US-India trade in goods and services was roughly $240bn, according to the US Trade Representative.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The "Semicon 2.0" initiative builds on a programme launched in 2021 to reduce India's reliance on imported chips and attract investment into the sector.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Department of Agriculture, which has control over imported monkeys.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
At times, Laos has struggled to provide power to its neighbours and finds itself importing energy, at significant cost, according to a recent World Bank report.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
To ease the crisis, Russia began importing gasoline from as far away as India—an ironic move for one of the world’s biggest crude producers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
His company has been importing vegetables from Europe in August—usually a time when the U.K. is overflowing with homegrown produce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
"So they begin importing from around the world, hundreds of tonnes of PCBs."
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Examples of successful biological control of serious pests by importing their natural enemies are to be found in some 40 countries distributed over much of the world.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions 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.
