noun B2 Upper-Intermediate Common

import

IHM-pawt

Import (noun) means a product or good brought into a country from abroad for sale. Example: “Cheap imports from overseas undercut local manufacturers.”

noun

A product or good brought into a country from abroad for sale.

"Cheap imports from overseas undercut local manufacturers."

verb

To bring goods into a country from abroad, especially for sale or trade.

"The company imports coffee beans directly from Colombia."

To bring data or a file into a software program from another source.

"You can import your contacts from a CSV file."

(formal) To be important or significant.

"It little imports what he thinks of the plan."

How to use import

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo bring something in from outside — whether goods from another country or data into a computer file.

Easily confused with

export →

Common pairings

import goods import duty import a file

Word forms

imported past tense, imported past tense, imports plural, imports plural, imports singular, imports singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Cheap _____ from overseas undercut local manufacturers.

Etymology

From Latin importo ("bring in from abroad"), from in- ("into") + porto ("to carry").

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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bring in introduce ship in source importation importancy importance meaning purport significance tenor weight

Antonyms

export insignificance

Related words

power cause value source pressure weight author meaning

Frequently asked questions

What does “import” mean?

The word “import” means a product or good brought into a country from abroad for sale. In plain terms, to bring something in from outside — whether goods from another country or data into a computer file.

How do you pronounce “import”?

“Import” is pronounced IHM-pawt (/ˈɪm.pɔɹt/ in IPA).

How do you use “import” in a sentence?

Here is “import” used in a sentence: “Cheap imports from overseas undercut local manufacturers.”

What is another word for “import”?

Words with a similar meaning to “import” include importancy, importance, meaning, purport, significance and tenor.

What is the opposite of “import”?

The opposite of “import” — its antonyms — are export and insignificance.

What part of speech is “import”?

Depending on how it is used, “import” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “import” come from?

The word “import” comes from Latin. From Latin importo ("bring in from abroad"), from in- ("into") + porto ("to carry").

Is “import” a common word?

“Import” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

What is the difference between an import and an export?

An import is a product or good brought into a country from abroad for sale, while an export is a good sent out of a country to be sold elsewhere. The two terms describe opposite directions of the same trade flow.

How does the pronunciation of import change between the noun and the verb?

As a noun meaning goods brought in, import is usually stressed on the first syllable (IM-port). As a verb meaning to bring goods in, the stress typically shifts to the second syllable (im-PORT).

When should you use import instead of buy?

Use import when the emphasis is on goods crossing a national border into a country from abroad, especially for sale or trade. Buy is a general term for any purchase and carries no sense of international movement.

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