tariff

American  

[tar-if] / ˈtær ɪf /

noun

1. an official list or table showing the duties or customs imposed by a government on imports or exports.

2. the schedule or system of duties so imposed.

3. any duty or rate of duty in such a list or schedule.

4. any table of charges, as of a railroad, bus line, etc.

5. bill; cost; charge.

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verb (used with object)

1. to subject to a tariff.

2. to put a valuation on according to a tariff.

tariff British  

/ ˈtærɪf /

noun

1. 1. a tax levied by a government on imports or occasionally exports for purposes of protection, support of the balance of payments, or the raising of revenue

   2. a system or list of such taxes

2. any schedule of prices, fees, fares, etc

3. 1. a method of charging for the supply of services, esp public services, such as gas and electricity

      block tariff

   2. a schedule of such charges

4. a bill of fare with prices listed; menu

5. the level of punishment imposed for a criminal offence

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verb

1. to set a tariff on

2. to set a price on according to a schedule of tariffs

tariff Cultural  

1. A government tax on imports, designed either to raise revenue or to protect domestic industry from foreign competition.

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Usage

What does tariff mean? A tariff is a tax or duty on products that come into a country (imports) or leave it (exports), imposed by the country’s government. A tariff is also the list of taxes a government imposes on imports and exports. To tariff can mean to subject to a tariff. Example: There is a high tariff on foreign music CDs, so I just stream it instead.

Other Word Forms

• pretariff
  noun
• protariff
  adjective
• retariff
  verb (used with object)
• tariffless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tariff

First recorded in 1585–95; earlier tariffa, from Italian, from Arabic taʿrīfah, derivative of ʿarrafa “to make known,” akin to ʿarafa “to know”

Explanation

A tariff is a kind of tax on goods a country imports or exports. If you want to buy a European-made car in the U.S., the price will include tariffs the government adds to the price of imported vehicles. Usually a government imposes a tariff to encourage its own industries and to discourage buying cheaper imports from other countries. If a government wants to protect its own clothing industry, it may add a tariff to imported clothing, to make sure that the imported clothes aren't cheaper than the locally manufactured items. You can control exports, too, by imposing tariffs. As a verb, you can say "the government tariffs certain imports and exports."

Example Sentences

Both countries agreed in principle to discuss a framework for reciprocal tariff reductions on products of equivalent value under a trade council mechanism, with each side covering goods worth at least US$30 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Lately, economists have credited the wealth effect with helping to keep the U.S. economy and markets resilient in the face of myriad shocks, from the latest spike in oil prices to last year’s tariff drama.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

Officials from China and the US reached an agreement in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia before a Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea in October 2025 that extended their tariff truce until November this year.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

According to the ministry, products agreed upon by both sides could eventually be subject to most-favored-nation tariff rates or lower.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

“So six bolts of silk at twice the price, plus the tariff, but minus my bargain to you as a Zoroastrian would be one hundred forty-seven drachms.”

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• cost
• duty
• excise
• levy
• price
• rate
• tax
• toll