Tariff

noun; also verb (transitive)

/ˈtærɪf/

A duty imposed by a national government on imported (or, less commonly, exported) goods, designed to raise revenue or protect domestic industries from foreign competition.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

India's calibrated tariff policy must walk a fine line between protecting nascent domestic manufacturing under the Make in India initiative and honouring its WTO commitments, for excessive protectionism risks inviting retaliatory duties that could erode the competitiveness of its own export sectors.

Synonyms

dutylevycustoms dutyimpostexcisetoll

Antonyms

subsidyfree tradeduty-free exemptionrebate

🌱 Word Family

tariff (v), tariffed (adj), tariffs (n pl), tariffication (n), tariff-free (adj)

🔡 Root

Arabic taʿrīf (تعريف) = notification, making known; root ʿ-r-f = to know; via Italian tariffa, Medieval Latin tarifa

📜 Etymology

From Italian tariffa (price list, assessment), via Medieval Latin tarifa (list of prices), ultimately from Arabic taʿrīf (تعريف, notification, making known), from the root ʿ-r-f (to know); entered English in the 1590s.

🧠 Memory Hook

From Arabic "taʿrīf" = "to make known": a tariff is the officially "made-known" list of charges at the border. Picture a customs officer "tear-iffing" open every parcel to slap a fee on it.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Mains 2015 · GS3 · 12.5 marks — Environment / Science & Technology
Mains 2014 · GS2 · 12.5 marks — Governance

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Tariff” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

💰 Indian Economy 📖 Seen in: External Sector — BoP, Trade, FDI & Tr...

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