tariff

1 of 2

noun

tar·​iff ˈter-əf 

ˈta-rəf

1

a

: a schedule of duties imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods

b

: a duty or rate of duty imposed in such a schedule

2

: a schedule of rates or charges of a business or a public utility

3

: price, charge

tariff

2 of 2

verb

tariffed; tariffing; tariffs

transitive verb

: to subject to a tariff

Examples of tariff in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Meloni is astonished and defiant Trump’s posturing underscored how his alliance with Meloni — who has long been seen as one of his closest friends in Europe — has frayed over his war in Iran, his tariffs against Europe and his complaints when anyone disagrees with him. —Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026

China’s recent decision to scrap tariffs on African imports led to an 18% jump in bilateral trade, a surge that comes as both China and the US vie for influence on the continent, especially in terms of control of Africa’s key mineral resources. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 19 June 2026

Verb

On the plus side, the White House refrained from tariffing laptops, smartphones, and chips. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 27 May 2026

And any country that buys cheap Russian oil to prop up Putin that doesn’t help Ukraine can be tariffed. —NBC news, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian tariffa, from Arabic taʽrīf notification

First Known Use

Noun

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1694, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tariff

• protective tariff
• revenue tariff

Rhymes for tariff

• sherif
• sheriff
• nontariff

Kids Definition

tariff

noun

tar·​iff

ˈtar-əf

1

a

: a list of taxes placed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods

b

: a tax or rate of tax set up in a tariff list

2

: a list of rates or charges of a business or public service company

Legal Definition

tariff

noun

tar·​iff ˈtar-əf 

1

a

: a schedule of duties imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods

b

: a duty or rate of duty imposed in such a schedule

2

: a document filed with the appropriate government agency that sets forth the rates, charges, and other provisions pertaining to services furnished by a business (as a carrier) or public utility

Etymology

Noun

Italian tariffa, from Arabic taʽrīf notification