ENGLISH
REFERENCE

export

n. · v.
US //ˈɛkspɔɹt// ex·port
  1. 1 goods sold abroad (n.)
    B1 Intermediate General-service

    a product that is sold and sent to another country.

    a commodity, article, or service sold abroad. Countable in the sense of specific products; uncountable when referring to the trade sector.

    Example

    Coffee is the main export for many countries in South America.

    Example

    The government is introducing new subsidies to help small businesses turn their local crafts into a viable national export.

  2. 2 to sell to another country (v.)
    B1 Intermediate General-service

    to sell and send goods to another country.

    to send goods or services to another country for sale. Transitive; typically takes a direct object representing the commodity.

    Example

    The factory exports most of its electronics to Europe and North America.

    Example

    By modernising its infrastructure, the nation hopes to export significantly higher volumes of natural gas to its neighbours over the next decade.

    Pitfall
    The company exports to cars to Japan.
    The company exports cars to Japan.

    The verb 'export' is transitive; do not put a preposition between the verb and the product being sold.

Show 2 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 to spread an idea (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    to spread an idea, culture, or system to other parts of the world.

    to cause an idea, cultural practice, or social system to be adopted in another country or region.

    Example

    The country has exported its popular music and films all over the globe.

    Example

    Sociologists argue whether the revolution successfully exported its democratic ideals to the surrounding territories or remained a local phenomenon.

  2. 4 to move digital data (v.)
    B1 Intermediate Technical Computing

    to save data in a format that another computer program can use.

    to transfer data from one application to another, often involving a change in file format.

    Example

    You can export your contact list as a spreadsheet file.

    Example

    The software allows users to export their architectural designs directly into a format compatible with 3D printing hardware.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'to' or 'as'.

Origin

From Latin exportare.

Word family

© 2026 English Reference