duty-free

adjective or adverb

ˌdü-tē-ˈfrē How to pronounce duty-free (audio)
ˌdyü-,
ˈd(y)ü-tē-ˌfrē
1
: without payment of customs duties : free from duties
imported duty-free
duty-free goods
2
: relating to or selling duty-free goods
a duty-free shop

Examples of duty-free in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Packages with values of $800 or less, which were previously allowed to enter the United States duty-free, are now subject to a range of tariffs and fees. Kayla Steinberg, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025 Most importantly, Armenia offers investors duty-free access to a 180 million-strong Eurasian Economic Union market that spans Central Asia and beyond. Narek Mkrtchyan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 Since the African Growth and Opportunity Act was implemented in 2000, sub-Saharan African nations have exchanged goods duty-free with the US, boosting trans-Atlantic trade. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025 Nearly a quarter-century old, AGOA provided 32 sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the American market for 1,800 different product categories. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for duty-free

Word History

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of duty-free was in 1689

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Duty-free.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duty-free. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!