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 service …—
Jake Tapper
Jake 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
The New York TimesExamples of terms of service in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Don’t sign the terms of service without understanding which data an app is sharing.
—Adam Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Its terms of service prohibit players from buying, selling or trading the virtual Robux currency or in-game items for money.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 May 2025
Part of the confusion for some social media users likely stems from the National Park Service not having an official TikTok account, which the agency attributes to the platform not having a terms of service for public agencies.
—Nicole Stock, New York Times, 16 May 2025
In recent years, after law enforcement used some of the most popular genealogy sites for criminal investigations, many companies changed their terms of service.
—Jean Casarez, CNN, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terms of service
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.
Adam Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Its terms of service prohibit players from buying, selling or trading the virtual Robux currency or in-game items for money.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 May 2025
Part of the confusion for some social media users likely stems from the National Park Service not having an official TikTok account, which the agency attributes to the platform not having a terms of service for public agencies.
—Nicole Stock, New York Times, 16 May 2025
In recent years, after law enforcement used some of the most popular genealogy sites for criminal investigations, many companies changed their terms of service.
—Jean Casarez, CNN, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terms of service
Cite this Entry
“Terms of service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terms%20of%20service. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share