surcharge

American  

[sur-chahrj, sur-chahrj, sur-chahrj] / ˈsɜrˌtʃɑrdʒ, sɜrˈtʃɑrdʒ, ˈsɜrˌtʃɑrdʒ /

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.

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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 British  

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

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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

Etymology

Origin of surcharge

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

Example Sentences

There are some caveats, he noted, with higher Social Security taxes and surcharges for Medicare premiums being the most common.

From MarketWatch

Daimler Truck hasn’t raised surcharges given current low demand.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sometimes, even a small conversion can trigger unwanted costs like Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts, which are surcharges on Medicare Parts B and D, known as IRMAA.

From MarketWatch

In May, the department estimated in its budget proposal for 2026 fiscal year that surcharges for foreign visitors would rake in more than $90 million per year.

From BBC

On the Sunday evening of Aug. 15, 1971, President Richard Nixon announced a wage-and-price freeze, an import surcharge, and the end of the dollar’s last link to convertibility into gold at $35 an ounce.

From Barron's

Related Words

• expense
• payment
• surtax
• tax