importation

IPA/ˌɪmpɔːˈteɪʃn/
KK[ˌɪmpɔrtˈeʃən]IPA/ˌɪmpɔːrˈteɪʃn/

importation — noun

  • importationsingular
  • importationsplural

1. the process or activity of bringing goods, animals, customs, or ideas from one c

1.nounC1
Definition

the process or activity of bringing goods, animals, customs, or ideas from one country to be used or sold in another; can also refer to the things that arrive this way.

Example

Australia bans the importation of fresh fruit to protect its farms from pests.

importation of + [goods]

Hassan studies the importation of Persian rugs from Iran to European markets.

importation of + [goods] + from + [country]

Common collocations
  • ban the importation of
  • control the importation of
  • illegal importation
  • large-scale importation
Synonyms
  • import

    the plural 'imports' is the everyday word for goods brought in; 'importation' names the act or process.

  • introduction

    broader; covers any first bringing-in, not only across borders.

Antonyms
  • exportation

    the act of sending goods or ideas out of a country to another.

Grammar Patterns

importation of [noun]

importation from [country]

Usage Note

Most often used in news, legal, and academic writing about trade or regulation; everyday speech usually picks the verb 'import' or the plural noun 'imports' instead.

Common Mistakes

I bought an importation from France.
I bought an import from France.
for a single foreign-made object that you own, use the count noun 'import'.

2. the act of moving a copy of files, contacts, or other digital information from o

2.nounC1
Definition

the act of moving a copy of files, contacts, or other digital information from one program, device, or account into another so the second one can use it.

Example

The new email tool guides Tamar through the importation of her old contacts.

importation of + [data type]

Dario paused the importation of photos when his laptop battery dropped below ten percent.

agent + pauses + importation

Common collocations
  • importation of files
  • importation of data
  • data importation process
Synonyms
  • import

    the short form used in software menus and casual writing; 'importation' is the formal long noun.

  • upload

    moves data from a local device to a server; 'importation' moves data between programs or accounts regardless of direction.

Antonyms
  • exportation

    saving data out of a program to a file you can use elsewhere.

Grammar Patterns

importation of [data] into [program]

Usage Note

Mostly seen in software documentation and help articles; conversational speech usually says 'import' as a verb ('import the file') rather than 'importation'.

Common Mistakes

Click here to start an importation.
Click here to start an import.
interface labels almost always use the short noun or verb form 'import'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe something arriving from outside, but they differ in scope and register. 'Importation' is the formal noun for the act or process of bringing goods, animals, or ideas across a national border, common in trade law and news reports — 'the importation of beef is banned'. 'Import' as a countable noun names the thing brought in ('Japanese cars are popular imports'); as a verb it covers the everyday action ('we import coffee from Brazil'). 'Introduction' is broader and need not cross a border — a chef may speak of the introduction of new spices to a menu. 'Influx' stresses a sudden large arrival, usually of people, money, or animals, and carries a sense of pressure ('a sudden influx of tourists overwhelmed the small town').

importation ↗import ↗introduction ↗influx ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • ban the importation of
  • restrict the importation of
  • illegal importation

Prepositions

  • importation of
  • importation from
  • importation into

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Came into English in the late 1500s from French 'importation', built on the Latin verb 'importare' meaning 'to bring in' — a combination of 'in-' (into) and 'portare' (to carry). The same Latin root gives us 'port', 'porter', and 'transport'. The newer software-data sense developed in the late 20th century alongside personal computers, by analogy with bringing goods across a border.