Duty-Free Shop: Definition, Examples & Usage

Meaning 1：tax-free shop (duty-free shop)

duty-free shop 🔊

/ˈdjuːti friː ʃɒp/

A shop at airports or borders where goods are sold without import taxes, so they are often cheaper for travelers.

Duty-free shop at airport with tax-free labels on perfumes and chocolates

tax-free shop 🔊

➕

/ˈtæks friː ʃɒp/

A retail store located in international airports, seaports, or border crossings where goods are sold without import duties or local taxes, typically offering lower prices for travelers.

📁 Category：Transportation & Travel 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

duty (tax) + free (without) + shop (store) → a store where goods are sold without import tax.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a sign at the airport: 'No duty, free shopping!' – you pay less because taxes are waived.

📖 Example

After passing through security, Lisa quickly visited the duty-free shop to pick up some skincare products she had been wanting. 🔊 After passing through security, Lisa quickly visited the duty-free shop to pick up some skincare products she had been wanting.

🔗 Collocations

duty-free shop purchase – The act of buying something at a duty-free shop

visit a duty-free shop – To go to a duty-free shop as a customer

duty-free shop prices – The cost of goods sold at a duty-free shop

🔄 Synonyms

tax-free shop (n.) – A shop that sells goods without sales tax, often used interchangeably with duty-free shop.

duty-free store (n.) – A synonym for duty-free shop, emphasizing the store aspect.

airport boutique (n.) – A small retail store at an airport, sometimes specializing in luxury goods, often duty-free.

🚫 Antonyms

taxed store (n.) – A regular retail store where goods are subject to local sales tax and import duties.

local retailer (n.) – A shop within a country that must charge full local taxes, unlike duty-free shops.

🌱 Derivatives

duty-free (adj.) – Exempt from import tax; often used as an adjective (e.g., duty-free goods).

duty-free shopping (n.) – The activity of buying goods at duty-free shops.

📖 Cultural Story

The concept of duty-free shops started at Shannon Airport in Ireland in the 1940s, allowing international travelers to avoid local taxes, a practice later adopted worldwide.