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

While not all about numbers, the next biggest navy, the US Navy, still wins out in terms of tonnage and capability. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026

Both by value and tonnage, frozen beef imports are at record levels. — Ken Roberts, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Local governments sign up to participate and submit their tonnage needs to CMS rather than running their own separate bidding processes. — Steve Zalusky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026

This canal is the busiest in the United States in terms of waterborne tonnage; in 2023 almost 281 million metric tons of cargo passed through. — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 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