English Reference

Word

IRS

Phoneticsirs

/ˈaɪˌɑˈɹɛs/

Definitions

01US tax agency

B2

n. Stands for Internal Revenue Service. This is the U.S. government office that collects taxes from people and businesses.

n. Abbreviation for Internal Revenue Service. The federal agency of the United States government responsible for tax collection and the enforcement of internal revenue laws.

“You must send your tax return to the IRS by the middle of April.”

“The IRS conducted a thorough audit of the corporation's offshore accounts to ensure compliance with recent changes in federal tax legislation.”

American English

Synonyms

tax officetax authorities

02navigation system

C1 · Science

n. Stands for Inertial Reference System. A piece of equipment in an airplane that helps it find its position without using outside signals.

n. Abbreviation for Inertial Reference System. A self-contained navigation system that uses gyroscopes and accelerometers to calculate a vehicle's position, orientation, and velocity.

“The pilot checked the IRS display to confirm the aircraft's current coordinates.”

“Modern long-haul aircraft typically utilise a triple-redundant IRS to maintain navigational accuracy during transoceanic flights where ground-based signals are unavailable.”

Technical

Synonyms

inertial navigation

03financial contract

C1 · Finance

n. Stands for Interest Rate Swap. A contract where two parties trade interest rate payments with each other.

n. Abbreviation for Interest Rate Swap. A derivative contract in which two counterparties exchange one stream of future interest payments for another, based on a specified principal amount.

“The company used an IRS to change their variable rate loan into a fixed rate.”

“Institutional investors often employ an IRS to hedge against potential fluctuations in market interest rates over the duration of a long-term bond.”

Technical · Formal

Synonyms

rate swap

Real-World Examples

“Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe via Getty Images The IRS estimates that this rule would affect 18,000 private schools attended by 750,000 students at all levels of instruction.”
The Conversation · 11 Sept 2026
“The study was conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Michigan State University, the University of Chicago and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).”
Phys.org · 19 Aug 2026

Domains

AviationEngineeringFinance

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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English Reference