tax
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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(of a government)
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to demand a tax from (a person, business, etc.).
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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.
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to lay a burden on; make serious demands on.
to tax one's resources.
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to take to task; censure; reprove; accuse.
to tax one with laziness.
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Informal. to charge.
What did he tax you for that?
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Archaic. to estimate or determine the amount or value of.
verb (used without object)
noun
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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
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a heavy demand on something; strain
a tax on our resources
verb
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to levy a tax on (persons, companies, etc, or their incomes, etc)
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to make heavy demands on; strain
to tax one's intellect
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to accuse, charge, or blame
he was taxed with the crime
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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
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slang to steal
Other Word Forms
- antitax adjective
- nontax noun
- nontaxer noun
- protax adjective
- retax verb (used with object)
- self-taxed adjective
- subtaxer noun
- taxer noun
- taxingly adverb
- taxless adjective
- taxlessly adverb
- taxlessness noun
- undertaxed adjective
- untax verb (used with object)
- well-taxed adjective
Etymology
Origin of tax
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In recent years, the Scottish government has used its wide-ranging powers over income tax to increase its revenues.
From BBC
Jed Fowler, the chairman of irrigation company HD Fowler, stepped down as chairman after his testimony in favor of the income tax created an uproar.
Wall Street has been hoping bigger tax refunds, lower interest rates and easing price increases would clear the way for a better 2026 for retailers.
From MarketWatch
Energy functions like a tax, reducing discretionary spending and compressing margins.
From Barron's
The state’s high rate of inherited homes reflects California’s unique circumstances: years of skyrocketing home prices, and tax policies that encourage owners to avoid selling their houses before they die.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
