tax
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.money that you must pay to the government based on your income, property, or the things you buy.
n.a compulsory contribution to state revenue, levied by the government on workers' income and business profits, or added to the cost of some goods, services, and transactions.
Simple“The government decided to increase the tax on cigarettes to discourage smoking.”
In context“Economists argue that a progressive income tax system is essential for reducing wealth inequality within the national borders.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun when referring to the system, but countable when referring to a specific type of charge.
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.something that is very difficult and takes a lot of your energy or time.
n.a burdensome or excessive demand on one's resources, strength, or patience.
Simple“The long commute was a heavy tax on his health and happiness.”
In context“The constant need for secrecy placed a significant tax on the diplomat's mental well-being over the course of the negotiations.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to require a person or business to pay a certain amount of money to the government.
v.to impose a financial charge on a person, entity, or transaction for the purpose of generating public revenue.
Simple“The city taxes local businesses to pay for the new park and library.”
In context“The state legislature debated whether to tax digital services at the same rate as physical goods sold in retail stores.”
UsageThe verb is transitive and requires a direct object, such as the person or the item being taxed.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to use a lot of someone's physical or mental strength.
v.to make heavy demands on a person's abilities, endurance, or resources.
Simple“The difficult math exam really taxed my brain.”
In context“Climbing the steep mountain trail in the midday heat taxed the hikers' endurance to the limit.”
Usage tax credit · tax credits · tax revenues
From Middle English taxe, from Middle French taxe, from Medieval Latin taxa, from Latin taxō (“to appraise, value, estimate; (medieval) to tax”). Doublet of task. Displaced native Old English gafol, which was also the word for “tribute” and “rent”.
From Middle English taxen, from Anglo-Norman taxer (“to impose a tax”), from Latin taxāre (“to handle, to censure, to appraise, to compute”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.