terms of service

plural noun

: the legal terms (see term entry 1 sense 4) that set forth the nature, scope, and limits of a service (such as one offered through a website or an app) and the rules that the service's users must agree to follow
… Twitter users' complaints alerted the company that three of his messages violated the terms of serviceJake Tapper
… most people have no idea what is signed away when they click "agree" to binding terms of service contracts—again and again on phones, laptops, tablets, watches, e-readers and televisions.The New York Times
abbreviation TOS

Examples of terms of service 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.
Max’s terms of service for North America indicate that the company reserves the right to limit accounts that violate password-sharing rules. Todd Spangler, Variety, 8 May 2025 That bipartisan bill would require stricter enforcement of terms of service on the platforms, require them to publish reports about how minors use the platforms and require stricter cooperation with law enforcement. Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2025 All of these would benefit from being procured at the group level for both economies of scale and also due diligence in terms of service level agreements and impact evaluation. Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025 Don’t sign the terms of service without understanding which data an app is sharing. Adam Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for terms of service

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of terms of service was in 1994

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Cite this Entry

“Terms of service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terms%20of%20service. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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