customs officer

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   An official at a border, port or airport who checks travelers and goods to make sure taxes are paid and rules are followed.

   Grammar: Always customs in the compound; the plural is customs officers.

   Patterns

   • a customs officer at something

   The customs officer asked what was in my suitcase.

   A customs officer found undeclared cigarettes in the car.

   She works as a customs officer at the port.

2. 2nouncountable

   A law-enforcement employee who investigates smuggling and illegal trade, not only at checkpoints.

   Grammar: In this sense the officer may work away from the border.

   A customs officer led the investigation into the smuggling ring.

   Customs officers raided the warehouse early in the morning.

   The customs officer trained dogs to detect illegal goods.

Word forms

Common combinations

stopped by a customs officer

We were stopped by a customs officer at the gate.

declare to a customs officer

You must declare large sums to a customs officer.

customs officer checks

The customs officer checks every bag.

senior customs officer

A senior customs officer approved the release of the cargo.

Synonyms and how they differ

border guard

A border guard focuses on security and who may enter, whereas a customs officer focuses on goods and duties.

immigration officer

An immigration officer checks passports and visas, while a customs officer checks what you carry.

inspector

Inspector is broader and can apply to any kind of check, while customs officer names the border role specifically.

Word family

customs noun

the place or agency that checks goods entering a country

custom noun

a traditional habit, a different word

customs duty noun

tax paid on imported goods

customs house noun

the building where such duties are collected

Commonly confused: customs officer or custom officer?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “customs officer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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