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Excise takes part of its meaning from the prefix ex-, "out". A writer may excise long passages of a novel to reduce it to a reasonable length, or a film director may excise a scene that might give offense. A surgeon may excise a large cancerous tumor, or make a tiny excision to examine an organ's tissue. Excise is also a noun, meaning a tax paid on something manufactured and sold in the U.S. Much of what consumers pay for tobacco or alcohol products go to cover the excise taxes that the state and federal government charge the manufacturers. But it's only accidental that this noun is spelled like the verb, since it comes from a completely different source.
Examples of excise in a Sentence
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025
That something was the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, which closed income-tax loopholes and increased excise taxes on cigarettes and phone service.
—Justin Fox, Twin Cities, 13 Mar. 2025
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2025
Much of the anxiety involved excising language and programs relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI.
—Chris Impey, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Excise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excise. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
excise
1 of 2 noun
excise
2 of 2 verb
Noun
from obsolete Dutch excijs "tax," probably derived from early French assise "assessment"
Verb
from Latin excisus, past participle of excidere "to cut out," from ex- "out, out of" and caedere "to cut"
Medical Definition
Legal Definition
excise
noun
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