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

As of March 1, U.S. vessels only carry 0.4 percent of global tonnage at sea, according to maritime intelligence service Clarksons Research. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 2 May 2025

But her actions, however necessary, left behind a tonnage of human wreckage. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025

Cargo-laden vessels and those with larger tonnage capacity will have priority, the ACP says. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 27 Mar. 2025

Another top less-than-truckload (LTL) firm, XPO Logistics, saw its North American LTL division decline 4 percent to $1.17 billion from $1.22 billion in its first quarter on a 7.5 percent decrease in tonnage per day and 5.8 percent decline in daily shipments. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 May 2025

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