tax

¹

[ taks ]

noun

1. a sum of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific facilities or services, levied upon incomes, property, sales, etc.

   Synonyms: levy, impost, duty

2. a burdensome charge, obligation, duty, or demand.

verb (used with object)

1. (of a government)
   1. to demand a tax from (a person, business, etc.).
   2. to demand a tax in consideration of the possession or occurrence of (income, goods, sales, etc.), usually in proportion to the value of money involved.
2. to lay a burden on; make serious demands on:

   to tax one's resources.

   Synonyms: stretch, tire, strain

3. to take to task; censure; reprove; accuse:

   to tax one with laziness.

4. Informal. to charge:

   What did he tax you for that?

5. Archaic. to estimate or determine the amount or value of.

verb (used without object)

1. to levy taxes.

tax-

²

1. variant of taxo- before a vowel:

   taxeme.

tax

/ tæks /

noun

1. a compulsory financial contribution imposed by a government to raise revenue, levied on the income or property of persons or organizations, on the production costs or sales prices of goods and services, etc
2. a heavy demand on something; strain

   a tax on our resources

verb

1. to levy a tax on (persons, companies, etc, or their incomes, etc)
2. to make heavy demands on; strain

   to tax one's intellect

3. to accuse, charge, or blame

   he was taxed with the crime

4. to determine (the amount legally chargeable or allowable to a party to a legal action), as by examining the solicitor's bill of costs

   to tax costs

5. slang.
   to steal

Derived Forms

• ˈtaxless, adjective
• ˈtaxer, noun

Other Words From

• taxer noun
• taxing·ly adverb
• taxless adjective
• taxless·ly adverb
• taxless·ness noun
• anti·tax adjective
• non·tax noun adjective
• non·taxer noun
• pro·tax adjective
• re·tax verb (used with object)
• self-taxed adjective
• sub·taxer noun
• under·taxed adjective
• un·tax verb (used with object)
• well-taxed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tax¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English taxen, from Medieval Latin taxāre, from Latin: “to appraise, charge, estimate,” literally, “to touch repeatedly,” from tangere “to touch”; noun derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tax¹

C13: from Old French taxer, from Latin taxāre to appraise, from tangere to touch

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with tax , also see death and taxes .

Example Sentences

National policies like sugar taxes are vital, but having international coordination is also important in such a sprawling supply chain.

From Salon

Tariffs are not directly paid by other countries — these are taxes on imports that must be paid by the importer.

From Salon

Businesses have also warned customers will face higher prices, if they pass on the cost of tax rises announced in the Budget.

From BBC

It comes as an increasing number of firms warn that the tax rises and the higher minimum wage announced in the Budget could lead them to increase prices for customers.

From BBC

If he goes ahead and introduces tariffs - a tax imposed by one country on the goods and services imported from another - it could lead to a rise in prices, including in the UK, economists say.

From BBC

Related Words

• contribution
• cost
• duty
• expense
• fine
• levy
• price
• rate
• tariff