an imposing or collecting, as of a tax, by authority or force.
the amount owed or collected.
the conscription of troops.
the troops conscripted.
Uriah Phillips, 1792–1862, U.S. naval commander.
a male given name.
to impose and collect (a tax, tariff, fine, etc)
to conscript troops for service
to seize or attach (property) in accordance with the judgment of a court
the act of imposing and collecting a tax, tariff, etc
the money so raised
the conscription of troops for service
a person conscripted in this way
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English leve(e), from Middle French, noun use of feminine past participle of lever “to raise,” from Latin levāre, akin to levis “light”; cf. levee 2
Use the word levy as you would use the word tax: “When the state government imposed a levy on soft drinks, thousands of citizens took to the streets in protest.” The word levy can act as either a verb or a noun in a sentence. The noun levy refers to a charge, such as a tax, fine, or other fee, that is imposed on something. The verb levy is used to describe the act of imposing or collecting the charge. If you need to raise money, for example, you may decide to levy a fine on your family every time you have to make the coffee in the morning. (Be careful though: your family may also take to the streets in protest.)
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Times and other publishers asked a federal judge this week to levy sanctions against OpenAI, saying the company has withheld evidence during the legal proceedings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
The main insurance companies pay a levy to it and that means higher premiums for everyone paying motor insurance.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
Although Brussels proposed the levy last year, some EU member states did not want to wait and slapped their own duties.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
For the few states that do levy an inheritance tax can range from 4.5% to 15%.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026
If they had, they might have notified their mother, who was hammering out a story on a proposed school levy and would not be home to watch the news—or to alert Mrs. McCullough.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
