levy

Definitions

From levāre (to raise), through French. To levy is to 'raise' money or troops — the same sense English keeps in raise taxes and raise an army. The thing raised (the tax) is also called a levy.

Why It Means This

Levy preserves an old sense of 'raise' that English still uses for taxes and armies: you raise (levy) revenue, and historically a ruler could raise (levy) a body of troops. The noun and verb share this — a levy is what gets raised; to levy is to raise it.

Common Collocations

• 1.levy a tax征税
• 2.impose a levy征收税款
• 3.levy a fine处以罚款
• 4.levy duties征收关税

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The government plans to levy a new tax on imports.

• 2.

  The council imposed a levy to fund road repairs.

Easily Confused

levy vs tax — A tax is the general system of compulsory payments; a levy is a specific charge raised for a particular purpose (an import levy, a flood levy). All levies are taxes in spirit, but you 'levy a tax' — the verb tells you levy is the act of imposing it.