Meaning & use
an export
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A product or service that is sold to another country.
Grammar: Use 'an' before a vowel sound: an export. The plural is exports.
Patterns
- an export of something
- an export to a place
Coffee is a major export of Colombia.
The company's main export is electric cars.
They increased exports to Europe last year.
noununcountable
The act or business of selling goods to other countries.
Grammar: No plural and no article: 'Export is vital.'
Patterns
- export of something
- export to a place
The government encourages export to boost the economy.
Export has grown since the trade deal.
Word forms
| plural | exports |
|---|
Common combinations
- main export
- Oil is the country's main export.
- export market
- They are looking for new export markets.
- export goods
- The port handles export goods every day.
- increase exports
- The firm plans to increase exports to Asia.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shipment
- A shipment is a load of goods sent, not necessarily abroad; an export is specifically sold to another country.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: an export or import?
an export vs import
An import is a product brought into a country; an export is sent out.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'an export' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The countable noun 'export' takes a singular verb with 'is' and can be a product like coffee. Option 1 has a plural verb with a singular subject, option 2 uses a plural noun unnecessarily, and option 3 repeats the idea with a gerund.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an export”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.