levy

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈlɛvi/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈlɛvi/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(lev′ē)

Inflections of 'levy' (n): npl: levies
Inflections of 'levy' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
levies
v 3rd person singular
levying
v pres p
levied
v past
levied
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
lev•y /ˈlɛvi/USA pronunciation   n., pl. lev•ies, v., lev•ied, lev•y•ing. 
n. [countable]
  1. a collecting of a tax by authority or force;
    a demand of such tax.
  2. the amount owed or collected.

v. [~ + object (+ on + object)]
  1. to impose (a tax, fine, etc.):to levy a duty on imports.
lev•i•er, n. [countable]See -lev-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
lev•y  (lev′ē),USA pronunciation n., pl. lev•ies, v., lev•ied, lev•y•ing. 
n. 
  1. an imposing or collecting, as of a tax, by authority or force.
  2. the amount owed or collected.
  3. the conscription of troops.
  4. the troops conscripted.

v.t. 
  1. to impose (a tax):to levy a duty on imports.
  2. to conscript (troops).
  3. to start or wage (war).

v.i. 
  1. to seize or attach property by judicial order.
  • Latin levāre, akin to levis light; compare levee2
  • Middle French, noun, nominal use of feminine past participle of lever to raise
  • late Middle English leve(e) 1375–1425
    6. draft, enlist, callup.
Le•vy  (lē′vē, lev′ē for 1; lē′vē, -vī for 2),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Biographical Uriah Phillips, 1792–1862, U.S. naval commander.
  2. a male given name.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
levy /ˈlɛvɪ/ vb (levies, levying, levied) (transitive)
  1. to impose and collect (a tax, tariff, fine, etc)
  2. to conscript (troops) for service
  3. to seize or attach (property) in accordance with the judgment of a court
 n ( pl levies)
    • the act of imposing and collecting a tax, tariff, etc
    • the money so raised
    • the conscription of troops for service
    • a person conscripted in this way
Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French levée a raising, from lever, from Latin levāre to raise
'levy' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
constable - contribution - contributory - Halévy - leviable - Lévy-Bruhl - put on - rate-cap - tax - tithe - toll - wealth tax - capital levy - distrain - draft - estreat - extend - extent - fieri facias - freedom - leavy - levier - put - tribute - Sixteenth Amendment
Synonyms: toll, duty, custom, tax, more...
Collocations: a levy on [imports, exports, foreign investments, sales], an [import] levy, a [fifteen] -percent levy on [imports], more...

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