import

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitivebusiness

   To bring goods or services into a country from abroad in order to sell or use them.

   Grammar: Usually takes an object: import coffee; often followed by from: import coffee from Brazil.

   Patterns

   • import something from somewhere
   • import something into somewhere

   The country imports most of its oil.

   The shop imports cheese from Italy.

   Few nations can avoid importing at least some food.

2. 2verbtransitivecomputing

   To transfer data or files into a program or system from another one.

   Grammar: Takes an object: import a file; often followed by from or into.

   Patterns

   • import something into something
   • import something from something

   You can import your contacts from an old phone.

   She imported the spreadsheet into the database.

   The software lets you import photos directly from a camera.

3. 3nouncountablebusiness

   A product or service brought into a country from abroad; also the act of importing.

   Grammar: Stress is on the first syllable: an import, not imPORT. Often plural: imports.

   Patterns

   • imports from somewhere

   Cheaper imports hurt local manufacturers.

   Rice is one of the country's biggest imports.

   A tax was placed on imports of steel.

Word forms

Common combinations

import goods

Companies import goods from factories overseas.

import tax

The government raised the import tax on cars.

imports and exports

Imports and exports both rose last quarter.

import data

Click here to import data from a spreadsheet.

ban on imports

A ban on imports left shelves nearly empty.

imported from

The wine is imported from Chile.

Synonyms and how they differ

bring in

A looser everyday phrase that works for any kind of bringing in, while import is the standard term for trade.

buy abroad

Describes the buying side only, whereas import also covers shipping goods across a border.

load

In computing, load can replace import when opening a file, but import suggests converting data from another format.

Opposites

Word family

importer noun

a person or company that brings in goods from abroad

importation noun

the act of importing goods, a formal word

imported adjective

brought in from another country

export verb

to send goods out of a country

Commonly confused: import or important?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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