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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
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
The federal government collects revenue from businesses and residents in the form of personal income taxes, social security and Medicare taxes, corporate income taxes and excise taxes.
—Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
Rejecting the promises of chemotherapy technologies then in their infancy, Gerson instead focused on metabolic therapy, believing that cancer stemmed from a patient’s diet and lifestyle choices and could be excised with a focus on natural foods, juices and expunging toxins from the body.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excise
Cite this Entry
“Excise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excise. Accessed 13 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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