duty-free

adjective or adverb

ˌdü-tē-ˈfrē How to pronounce duty-free (audio)
ˌdyü-,
ˈd(y)ü-tē-ˌfrē
1
: without payment of customs duties : free from duties
imported duty-free
duty-free goods
2
: relating to or selling duty-free goods
a duty-free shop

Examples of duty-free in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This is a good place to be a duty-free retailer as the airline is growing and recently delivered the strongest financial performance in its 27-year history. Kevin Rozario, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 The countries currently trade under a largely duty-free deal, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which was signed into law by Trump and took effect in 2020. Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025 One way of increasing trade with Africa, many experts said, would be to renew, and expand, the African Growth and Opportunity Act — legislation that allows more than 30 African countries to export some products to the U.S. duty-free. Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024 Most at risk is South Africa’s duty-free exports to the U.S. of items such as cars and citrus fruit under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) — and with it the potential loss of tens of thousands of African jobs. Paul Tilsley, Fox News, 26 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for duty-free 

Word History

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of duty-free was in 1689

Dictionary Entries Near duty-free

Cite this Entry

“Duty-free.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duty-free. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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