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 change in Tottenham's transfer policy began with Daniel Levy ending his near 25-year reign as executive chairman in September.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
Little said they were together for a lengthy period of time before Levy was seen to leave.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
Dr. Shauna Levy, medical director for the Tulane Weight Loss Center, says that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, but that the medical community just doesn’t know.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
The current study shows that those who have assimilated more positive age beliefs often show improvement, Levy said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 21, 2026
“I was a very warm and loving girl at one time, with high hopes. The girls knew that. I thought you’d make Levy Pants nationwide.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
