tonnage

noun

ton·​nage ˈtə-nij 

1

a

: the cubical content of a merchant ship in units of 100 cubic feet

b

: the displacement of a warship

2

a

: total weight in tons shipped, carried, or produced

b

: impressively large amount or weight

3

: a duty formerly levied on every tun of wine imported into England

4

a

: a duty or impost on vessels based on cargo capacity

b

: a duty on goods per ton transported

5

: ships in terms of the total number of tons registered or carried or of their carrying capacity

Examples of tonnage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These buying executives indicate that advertisers are certainly interested in Netflix’ progress in selling advertising, but note that the company has probably had more success in striking sponsorship deals of individual titles rather than selling sheer tonnage of its inventory. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 May 2026

But that’s only because passenger ships and commercial vessels above a certain tonnage operating on international routes are legally required to carry satellite transponders that continuously broadcast their identity and location. —David Szondy may 12, New Atlas, 12 May 2026

Greenland Mines Ltd describes the formation as hosting a significant tonnage of gold, palladium, platinum, vanadium, and gallium. —Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026

The world’s largest container shipping firm by tonnage carried will operate a trucking service from King Abdullah to Dammam Port, where feeder vessels will pick up cargo and sail it to major ports throughout the Persian Gulf. —Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 4 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

in sense 3, from Middle English, from Anglo-French, from tonne tun; in other senses, from ton entry 1 — more at tunnel

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for tonnage

• dunnage

Kids Definition

tonnage

noun

ton·​nage ˈtən-ij 

1

: a tax on ships based on tons carried

2

: ships in terms of the total number of tons that are or can be carried

3

: total weight in tons shipped, carried, or mined