tax
noun
a sum of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific facilities or services, levied upon incomes, property, sales, etc.
tax
1 American
[taks]
/ tæks /
noun
-
taxes
plural
verb (used with object)
-
taxes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
taxed,
past participle, past
-
taxing
present participle
-
(of a government)
-
to demand a tax from (a person, business, etc.).
-
to demand a tax in consideration of the possession or occurrence of (income, goods, sales, etc.), usually in proportion to the value of money involved.
-
-
to lay a burden on; make serious demands on.
to tax one's resources.
-
to take to task; censure; reprove; accuse.
to tax one with laziness.
-
Informal. to charge.
What did he tax you for that?
-
Archaic. to estimate or determine the amount or value of.
verb (used without object)
-
taxes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
taxed,
past participle, past
-
taxing
present participle
tax-
2
American
tax
British
/ tæks /
noun
-
a compulsory financial contribution imposed by a government to raise revenue, levied on the income or property of persons or organizations, on the production costs or sales prices of goods and services, etc
-
a heavy demand on something; strain
a tax on our resources
verb
-
to levy a tax on (persons, companies, etc, or their incomes, etc)
-
to make heavy demands on; strain
to tax one's intellect
-
to accuse, charge, or blame
he was taxed with the crime
-
to determine (the amount legally chargeable or allowable to a party to a legal action), as by examining the solicitor's bill of costs
to tax costs
-
slang to steal
tax
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nontaxnoun
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nontaxernoun
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subtaxernoun
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taxernoun
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taxlessnessnoun
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retaxverb (used with object)
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untaxverb (used with object)
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antitaxadjective
-
protaxadjective
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self-taxedadjective
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taxlessadjective
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undertaxedadjective
-
well-taxedadjective
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taxinglyadverb
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taxlesslyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
taxsimple
-
taxessimple
-
have taxedperfect
-
has taxedperfect
-
am taxingprogressive
-
are taxingprogressive
-
is taxingprogressive
-
have been taxingperfect progressive
-
has been taxingperfect progressive
Past
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taxedsimple
-
had taxedperfect
-
was taxingprogressive
-
were taxingprogressive
-
had been taxingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tax
First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English taxen, from Medieval Latin taxāre, from Latin: “to appraise, charge, estimate,” literally, “to touch repeatedly,” from tangere “to touch”; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
A charge or fee that a government imposes on a citizen or business is called a tax. Taxes help to pay for the services people (and businesses) receive from the government. There are many different kinds of taxes—on purchases, property, and income, for example—but all tax money is meant to pay for things that benefit people in society. For example, in many places schools, road repairs, fire departments, and health care for elderly and disabled people are all paid for with money from taxes. As a verb, tax can either mean "impose a tax on" or "put a strain or burden on."
Vocabulary lists containing tax
Citizenship (Civics) - Middle School
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Economics
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Ratios and Proportional Relationships
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In exchange, government officials hope to secure their regions’ economic future through increased tax revenues, new jobs, and higher wages for residents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
We would now have enough money to pay all our rent, our sales tax and every one of our vendor bills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Property and tax records show the nonprofit has ties to Konca’s home in Claremont and an office building at 840 Towne Center Drive, just outside Claremont city limits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
She was receiving £360 a month in Universal Credit, but with rent at £460, plus utility bills, council tax and living costs, her total debt spiralled to about £4,000.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
I don’t collect garbage tax or cell phone storage fees from Stephen.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
Black socialized with Jeffrey Epstein and turned to him for tax- and estate-planning advice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Under threat of having its tax- exempt status revoked, the DAR reversed the decision and, in 1984, granted Ferguson full membership.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 5, 2022
Federal law also allows up to $10,000 annually in tax- and penalty-free withdrawals for elementary, middle and high school tuition, but California does not.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2022
“Anyone who wants to sell in-state, whether an in-state shop, an out-of-state shop, everybody is treated to the same tax- collection obligation,” Ginsburg said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 17, 2018
She used to have an office downtown, but David got kicked out of day care, so now she runs her tax- preparation business from our spare bedroom.
From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord
Although heating oil is exempt from the transportation taxes that diesel carries, it has its own delivery costs from drivers who show up at a home or business to fill tanks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
They are also exempt from state and local taxes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
By taking these steps, you’ll save money on taxes and spare your future self a major financial headache at a difficult time.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Tax-exempt munis issued within New York City pay interest that is exempt from federal, state and city income taxes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Democratic President Harry S. Truman was running for reelection on a platform that included federal laws intended to crack down on lynchings, poll taxes, and employment discrimination.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
"Pensioners certainly shouldn't get taxed, they've worked all their lives and they get taxed on their pension," she said, adding: "I work hard, my partner works hard, and then they tax you on child benefit."
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
A small group of men hoards wealth and resources, while the peasant class is heavily taxed, laws brutally enforced.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
That leaves $24,500 of taxable income, all of it taxed at the 10% rate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Poverty, unemployment and bureaucratic red tape force tens of millions of Africans into work that is not regulated, taxed or protected by the government.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
I keep looking at Roger’s mother, who is so tired, so taxed.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
The harsh environment of Burning Man — which for some people is part of the appeal — is famously taxing.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
And now for the first time, the freeze means they're going to be taxing the state pension.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
“Elsinore” captures that journey in all of its glories and taxing challenges.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
It added that going home early is called an "early shove" in the aviation industry and is considered an informal perk for staff, sometimes offered after especially taxing shifts.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
All this was particularly taxing for Galileo since he loved spending money himself, enjoying fine wines and good food, and entertaining his friends generously whenever he was in funds.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
