1
a
: the cubical content of a merchant ship in units of 100 cubic feet
b
: the displacement of a warship
2
a
: total weight in tons shipped, carried, or produced
b
: impressively large amount or weight
3
: a duty formerly levied on every tun of wine imported into England
4
a
: a duty or impost on vessels based on cargo capacity
b
: a duty on goods per ton transported
5
: ships in terms of the total number of tons registered or carried or of their carrying capacity
Examples of tonnage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The rules will apply to passenger vessels under 10,000 gross tonnage starting on Jan. 1, 2026, and those 10,000 gross tonnage or more on Jan. 1, 2032 (the changes were originally set to take effect for all ships in 2026 but were delayed for larger vessels).
—
Nathan Diller, USA Today, 12 July 2025
Coal, much of it pulled from the mountains of Appalachia and hauled out in a succession of barges down the Ohio River, remains the top commodity by tonnage.
—Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 9 July 2025
Several residents who live nearby voiced their disappointment ahead of the June 24 Ventura County Board of Supervisors vote to approve emergency waivers to allow fire debris to continue to be disposed of at Simi Valley Landfill — without a cap on tonnage — until Sept. 3.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
Both publications highlighted another potential plan to base the fees largely on vessel tonnage and capacity, resulting in lower fees for smaller ships coming into U.S. ports.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tonnage
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Nathan Diller, USA Today, 12 July 2025
Coal, much of it pulled from the mountains of Appalachia and hauled out in a succession of barges down the Ohio River, remains the top commodity by tonnage.
—Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 9 July 2025
Several residents who live nearby voiced their disappointment ahead of the June 24 Ventura County Board of Supervisors vote to approve emergency waivers to allow fire debris to continue to be disposed of at Simi Valley Landfill — without a cap on tonnage — until Sept. 3.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
Both publications highlighted another potential plan to base the fees largely on vessel tonnage and capacity, resulting in lower fees for smaller ships coming into U.S. ports.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tonnage
Cite this Entry
“Tonnage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonnage. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tonnage
noun
ton·nage
ˈtən-ij 
1
: a tax on ships based on tons carried
2
: ships in terms of the total number of tons that are or can be carried
3
: total weight in tons shipped, carried, or mined
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