surcharge

[sur-chahrj, sur-chahrj, sur-chahrj]

noun

1. an additional charge, tax, or cost.

2. an excessive sum or price charged.

3. an additional or excessive load or burden.

4. Philately.

   1. an overprint that alters or restates the face value or denomination of a stamp to which it has been applied.

   2. a stamp bearing such an overprint.

5. act of surcharging.

verb (used with object)

surcharged, surcharging 

1. to subject to an additional or extra charge, tax, cost, etc. (for payment).

2. to overcharge for goods.

3. to show an omission in (an account) of something that operates as a charge against the accounting party; to omit a credit toward (an account).

4. Philately.,  to print a surcharge on (a stamp).

5. to put an additional or excessive burden upon.

surcharge

noun

1. a charge in addition to the usual payment, tax, etc

2. an excessive sum charged, esp when unlawful

3. an extra and usually excessive burden or supply

4. law the act or an instance of surcharging

5. an overprint that alters the face value of a postage stamp

verb

1. to charge an additional sum, tax, etc

2. to overcharge (a person) for something

3. to put an extra physical burden upon; overload

4. to fill to excess; overwhelm

5. law to insert credits that have been omitted in (an account)

6. to overprint a surcharge on (a stamp)

Other Word Forms

• surcharger noun
• unsurcharged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of surcharge¹

1400–50; late Middle English surchargen (v.) < Old French surcharger. See sur- ¹, charge

Example Sentences

The father was fined £200 and ordered to pay an £80 surcharge and £156 costs.

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A further £44,250 would have been due if he was an owner of the property because a stamp duty surcharge for second home purchase would have been due.

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Customers of the three utilities are already on the hook for contributing $10.5 billion to the original fund through a surcharge of about $3 on their monthly bills.

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"Banks based here already pay both a corporation tax surcharge and a bank levy," the trade association said.

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However, it seems there is now a growing political movement against SUVs, with Lambeth Council considering whether to impose a parking surcharge on "supersize" cars.

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Related Words

• expense 
• payment 
• surtax 
• tax