duty-free

adjective or adverb

ˌdü-tē-ˈfrē 

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

In July, the European Union ended its own version of the de minimis exemption, which had allowed packages valued under 150 euros (US$173) to enter into the territory duty-free. — Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Firestar operated a large factory inside Surat’s Special Economic Zone, a duty-free enclave that allowed the company to cut, polish and manufacture jewelry for export markets. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026

Shopping on a cruise ship used to mean logo T-shirts and duty-free perfume. — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026

Approvals are in place, however, to sell through duty-free locations in Bogotá, Medellín, and Cartagena. — Brian Freedman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for duty-free

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy