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

There’s another reason why the tonnage of AI wildlife videos has increased so quickly. —Frederick Dreier, Outside, 12 Dec. 2025

Chinese shipyards accounted for 65% of global shipbuilding orders by deadweight tonnage during the first nine months of 2025, down from about 75% a year earlier, according to data from shipping services firm Clarksons cited by the South China Morning Post. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025

Worldwide air cargo tonnages in November continued their annual growth pattern with a 5 percent increase, according to WorldACD. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Dec. 2025

That’s a lot of tonnage, but requires perspective. —Bob Woods, CNBC, 9 Nov. 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