markup

American  

[mahrk-uhp] / ˈmɑrkˌʌp /

noun

1. Commerce.

   1. the amount added by a seller to the cost of a commodity to cover expenses and profit in fixing the selling price.

   2. the difference between the cost price and the selling price, computed as a percentage of either the selling price or the cost price.

   3. an increase in price, as of a commodity.

   4. the amount by which a price is increased.

2. the putting of a legislative bill into final form.

3. detailed instructions, usually written on a manuscript to be typeset, concerning style of type, makeup of pages, and the like.

4. Digital Technology. detailed instructions indicating the format, style, or structure for an electronic document or web page.

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verb (used with object)

1. to mark up (a document or web page).

Etymology

Origin of markup

First recorded in 1915–20; noun use of verb phrase mark up

Example Sentences

Hotel operators sell rooms to online travel companies at a discounted rate, and the companies then charge a markup to consumers.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

While this enforcement action is helpful, the SEC should issue a broader warning against the immediate markup of purchased loans to their NAV when they are acquired at a significant discount.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Huang has tried to focus customers not on the price tag—customers essentially pay a 300% markup for Nvidia equipment—but on the cost per token, which the CEO says is the lowest on Nvidia hardware.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Their goods sell for four to five times their manufacturing cost, compared with a 10 times markup or higher for Western luxury brands, Bernstein notes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

He was robbing these folks blind, charging them a hundred percent markup on his cheap goods, and he was worried about them stealing from him!

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride

Related Words

• addition