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

Furniture will face tariffs later this year, Trump said. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2025

The engine will be produced at Stellantis' Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan, while the rest of the vehicle will be produced in Toluca, Mexico, and therefore subject to a 25% import tariff. —Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Verb

Small businesses brace for the punishing side effects of Trump’s tariffs. ▪Bloomberg News: Gold will not be tariffed, Trump said Monday on social media. —Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 12 Aug. 2025

The Tax Foundation estimates that the true tariff rate for the U.S. is currently higher, also when taking into account how much of which tariffed good is actually imported. —Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian tariffa, from Arabic taʽrīf notification

First Known Use

Noun

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1828, 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