Import

//ˈɪm.pɔːt// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Something brought in from an exterior source, especially for sale or trade. countable

    "Trump’s July 8 announcement of a 50% tariff on copper imports beginning August 1 sent prices surging 13% in one day, up to a record high of $5.69 per pound."

  2. 2
    commodities (goods or services) bought from a foreign country wordnet
  3. 3
    The practice of importing. uncountable
  4. 4
    having important effects or influence wordnet
  5. 5
    Clipping of importance. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, uncountable

    "It was a matter of great import."

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred wordnet
  2. 7
    A foreigner playing in a sports league. Philippines, countable
  3. 8
    the message that is intended or expressed or signified wordnet
  4. 9
    an imported person brought from a foreign country wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To bring (something) in from a foreign country, especially for sale or trade. transitive

    "Nauru imports foods from Australia because phosphate mining destroyed land for farming."

  2. 2
    To be important; to be significant; to be of consequence. intransitive

    "See how much it importeth to learn to take Time by the Fore-Top."

  3. 3
    indicate or signify wordnet
  4. 4
    To load a file into a software application from another version or system. transitive

    "How can I import files from older versions of this application?"

  5. 5
    To be of importance to (someone or something). transitive

    "This Letter is mistooke: it importeth none here: It is writ to laquenetta."

Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    transfer (electronic data) into a database or document wordnet
  2. 7
    To be incumbent on (someone to do something). transitive

    "It imports us to get all the aid and assistance we can."

  3. 8
    bring in from abroad wordnet
  4. 9
    To be important or crucial to (that something happen). transitive

    "It much imports your house That all should be made clear."

  5. 10
    To mean, signify. transitive

    "Every petition […] doth […] always import a multitude of speakers together."

  6. 11
    To express, to imply. archaic, transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
consequenceimportationimportationmeaningmeaningsignificance

Example

More examples

"Proponents of increased import duties are at odds with each other."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English importen, from Old French emporter, importer, from Latin importō (“bring in from abroad, import”, verb), from in (“in, at, on; into”) + portō (“I carry, bear; convey”).

Etymology 2

From Italian importare, and French importer, from Latin importō.

Related phrases

invisible importparallel importreverse importbring ineconomical advantageforeign carfrom otherfrom overseas

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.