importation
C1Formal; common in legal, business, and academic contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The act or process of bringing goods or services into one country from another.
The introduction or adoption of something (e.g., ideas, cultural elements, technology) from an external source into a new environment.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a formal, commercial, or large-scale process. Can be used metaphorically for non-tangible items.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the word. In American English, the noun 'import' is more common in everyday contexts, while 'importation' is often reserved for formal, legal, or technical contexts. British English may use 'importation' slightly more frequently in general writing.
Connotations
Neutral in both, but can carry negative connotations when associated with illegal goods (e.g., 'illegal importation').
Frequency
Less frequent than the noun 'import'. Appears more in official documents, trade reports, and academic papers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
importation of + [product/idea]importation from + [country]importation into + [country/region]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None commonly associated; the word is used literally or in technical phrases.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The importation of components has been delayed due to new customs checks.
Academic
The importation of philosophical concepts into medieval theology was a slow process.
Everyday
There are strict rules about the importation of plants and seeds. (heard in news/travel contexts)
Technical
The importation of the dataset requires conversion to a compatible format.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The company plans to import the machinery next quarter.
- We import a large amount of tea from India.
American English
- The firm will import the software from its Canadian subsidiary.
- They import most of their auto parts from Mexico.
adverb
British English
- The goods were imported legally.
- The data was imported successfully into the system.
American English
- The products are imported directly from the manufacturer.
- The software imports the files automatically.
adjective
British English
- The import duties have been revised.
- They faced import restrictions on certain goods.
American English
- The import tariff was increased last year.
- They complied with all import regulations.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The importation of fruit is checked at the airport.
- Some countries do not allow the importation of dogs.
- The new law controls the importation of medicines.
- The importation of these goods requires special permission.
- Strict quotas govern the importation of textiles to protect local industry.
- The illegal importation of wildlife is a serious crime.
- The treaty facilitated the importation of cultural artefacts for the exhibition.
- His theory concerns the importation of Western legal principles into traditional societies.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: IMPORT-ACTION – it's the ACTION of IMPORTing.
Conceptual Metaphor
IMPORTATION IS A FLOW (of goods, ideas) FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE INTO A CONTAINER (the country/mind).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'импортация' – use 'импорт' (for goods) or 'завоз' (for the act).
- Do not confuse with 'import' (noun) – in Russian, both 'import' and 'importation' are often translated as 'импорт'.
- Remember that 'importation' emphasizes the process, not the goods themselves.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'importation' when 'import' (the simpler noun) would suffice in informal contexts (e.g., 'The import of cars' vs 'The importation of cars').
- Misspelling as 'importion' or 'importation' with a single 't'.
- Incorrect preposition: 'importation to' (use 'into' or 'from').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'importation' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In many contexts, they are interchangeable, but 'importation' more strongly emphasizes the process or act, while 'import' can refer to the process or the goods themselves (e.g., 'imports rose by 10%').
Yes, it is commonly used metaphorically in academic or formal writing for the introduction of ideas, customs, or technology (e.g., 'the importation of management techniques').
It is typically followed by 'of' (the thing being imported) and/or 'from' (the source) and 'into' (the destination), e.g., 'importation of coffee from Brazil into the EU'.
It is used in both varieties. American English tends to use the shorter noun 'import' more frequently in everyday language, while 'importation' appears in more formal or legal contexts in both regions.