English Reference
noun

markup

n.
US /ˈmɑɹˌkəp/ UK /mˈɑːkʌp/ markup UK spelling markups

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    the amount of money added to the cost of a product to cover expenses and make a profit.

    the amount or percentage added to the cost price of goods to cover overheads and profit. Uncountable when referring to the concept; countable when referring to a specific instance.

    Simple

    The retail store puts a fifty percent markup on all designer clothing.

    In context

    The wholesaler's modest markup allowed the small boutique to remain competitive while still maintaining a healthy profit margin.

    profit marginprice hike
    markdowndiscount
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    special symbols or tags added to a digital document to show how it should look or be organized.

    the set of symbols or rules applied to a text file to define its structure, formatting, or the relationship between its parts.

    Simple

    You need to learn basic HTML markup to build your own website.

    In context

    The developer spent the afternoon cleaning up the semantic markup to ensure the site was accessible to screen readers.

    plain text
  3. 03 C2 Proficiency American EnglishFormalTechnical Law

    the process where a committee in the US government debates and changes a new law.

    the process by which a US congressional committee debates, amends, and rewrites proposed legislation.

    Simple

    The bill underwent a long markup session before it was sent to the floor for a vote.

    In context

    During the committee markup, several controversial amendments were introduced that threatened to derail the entire healthcare reform package.

With the newly imposed tariffs, a normal markup would bring the price of that pillow to somewhere between $86 and $90, Osgood told the BBC.

BBC News· 24 Aug 2026

Deverbal from mark up.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated