English

export

gb/ˈɛkspɔɹt/ us/ˈɛkspɔɹt/
B1 English
~ 2300
Senses
0 senses
Verb B1 action
1

Send goods abroad for sale

To sell and send goods to another country.

Usage pattern: to export [goods] to [place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'export' with 'import'. Remember: 'export' means goods go out of your country; 'import' means goods come in.
Synonyms
ship (Informal term emphasizing the act of transporting goods, not necessarily for international sale.) | trade (General term for buying and selling goods, sometimes including domestic transactions.)
Antonyms
import (Opposite action—bringing goods into a country for sale.)
Collocations
export goods |export services |export market |export company |export license
Themes
business |trade |economics |finance |core_vocabulary
Examples
  • The company exports coffee beans to Europe.
  • They export software to clients all over the world.
  • Brazil exports large quantities of soybeans each year.
  • We plan to export our products to new markets in Asia.
  • This factory exports most of its production overseas.
Learner examples
  • We export cars to other countries.
  • The farm exports fruit to Japan.
  • My country exports oil to many places.
  • They export clothes to the United States.
Noun B1 entity
2

Goods sent abroad for sale

Something made in one country and sold in another.

Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'export' as a noun with 'exportation', which is more formal and less common in everyday English.
Synonyms
shipment (Refers to a batch of goods being transported, not necessarily internationally.)
Antonyms
import (A product brought into a country from abroad for sale.)
Collocations
main export |export market |export industry |export figures
Themes
business |trade |economics |finance |core_vocabulary
Examples
  • Oil is the country's main export.
  • The nation's exports have increased this year.
  • Wheat is one of Canada's major exports.
  • Exports from the region have doubled in the last decade.
Learner examples
  • Rice is our biggest export.
  • We sell many exports to other countries.
  • Coffee is an important export for Brazil.
  • Exports help the economy grow.
Verb technical B2 action
3

Transfer data between formats/programs

To move information from one computer program to another format.

Usage pattern: to export [file/data] from [program] to [program/format]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'upload'. Export means moving data out of a program; upload means sending it to an online location.
Synonyms
save as (Specific action of saving a file under a different name or format; may not imply transfer between programs.)
Antonyms
import (In computing, to bring data into a program from another source.)
Collocations
export file |export data |export settings
Themes
technology |computing |communication |work
Examples
  • You can export the document as a PDF.
  • The program allows you to export images in multiple formats.
  • Export the spreadsheet from Excel before uploading it.
Learner examples
  • I will export the file as a PDF.
  • She exported the photo to her phone.
  • He exported the list from Excel.
  • We can export the video to MP4.
Grammar
Dictionary form
export
IPA
GB/ˈɛkspɔɹt/
US/ˈɛkspɔɹt/
Syllables & stress
ex - port (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ex)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: export
  • Plural: export, exports
Verb
  • Base: export
  • 3rd Person Singular: exports
  • Present Participle: exporting
  • Past: exported
Word family
Forms
exports noun exporting verb exported verb
Core family
exporter noun B2
Related words
exportable adjective
Negative and opposite forms
import verb B1
Advanced or less common
exportation noun
Expressions

export duty

1
/ˈɛkspɔɹt dˈuti/
fixed phrase technical

Tax on exported goods

A tax that must be paid when sending goods to another country.

Examples
  • The government imposed an export duty on raw materials.
  • Export duties can affect international trade prices.

export license

1
/ˈɛkspɔɹt lˈaɪsəns/
fixed phrase technical

Permission to sell abroad

An official paper that lets you sell and send goods to another country.

Examples
  • You need an export license to ship these items overseas.
  • The government refused to grant an export license for the weapons.

export market

1
/ˈɛkspɔɹt mˈɑɹkɪt/
fixed phrase

Foreign market for goods

A place in another country where a business sells its products.

Examples
  • China is our largest export market.
  • The company is trying to expand its export markets.

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