levy
/ˈlevi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlevi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈle-vē/ (ame, mw) · /ˈlev.i/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlev.i/ (ame, ipa)
levy — noun
- levysingular
- leviesplural
1. A sum of money that an authority, especially a government, demands and collects
A sum of money that an authority, especially a government, demands and collects from people, often to fund public projects or services.
The city council introduced a new levy on single-use plastic bags to reduce waste.
levy on [item]
Farmers protested against the government's grain levy, saying it would hurt small businesses.
Samir's employer deducted the health-care levy directly from his monthly salary.
A new levy on luxury goods was proposed to fund public schools across the state.
Ife calculated that the environmental levy added five percent to her electricity bill.
- tax
broader term; a levy is a specific type of imposed payment, often for a designated purpose
- assessment
an amount officially charged or calculated, often based on property value
文法句型
levy + on + [item/activity]
用法筆記
More formal than 'tax'; a levy is typically a specific charge tied to a particular purpose rather than general government revenue.
常見錯誤
2. The official process of calling up people, usually by law, to serve in the armed
The official process of calling up people, usually by law, to serve in the armed forces for a set period.
During the crisis, the president ordered a national levy of all able-bodied citizens.
national levy of [people]
The government's decision to impose a military levy sparked widespread protests across the country.
After the levy was announced, thousands of young people applied for exemption on medical grounds.
Under the 1917 law, the levy applied to all unmarried men from twenty to thirty.
- conscription
the standard modern term for compulsory military service
- draft
less formal, more common in US English
文法句型
levy + of + [people]
用法筆記
Typically used in historical or formal discussion of military conscription; in modern contexts, 'draft' (US) or 'conscription' is more common.
常見錯誤
levy — verb
- levypresent simple I / you / we / they
- levies3rd person singular
- levying-ing form
- leviedpast simple
1. To officially demand and collect a payment — for instance a tax, a fine, or a du
To officially demand and collect a payment — for instance a tax, a fine, or a duty — using legal power; a government or official body typically does this.
The government levied a fifteen percent tax on imported cars to help local manufacturers.
levy + [percentage] + [tax] + on + [item]
The city council levied an environmental charge on all factories operating in the area.
In wartime, rulers often levied special taxes on their people to fund the army.
The council can levy a penalty on owners of long-empty properties.
Élise questioned whether the government had the legal right to levy such a large fee.
文法句型
levy + [tax/fee/charge] + on + [person/entity]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a government, council, or official body with legal authority. The object is the payment (tax, fee, fine, charge), often followed by 'on' + the payer.
常見錯誤
2. To call up or draft someone by law to serve in the armed forces, especially when
To call up or draft someone by law to serve in the armed forces, especially when the military needs more soldiers.
After war broke out, the government levied all men between eighteen and thirty-five.
levy + [age group]
Cyrus was levied into the army at the age of nineteen and sent overseas.
The new law allows the president to levy citizens for service in a national emergency.
During the conflict, both sides levied farmers and factory workers to fill their armies.
- volunteer
to join the military by choice rather than being forced
文法句型
levy + [person] + into + [military branch]
be levied into + [military branch]
用法筆記
Often used in passive constructions ('was levied into'). The active form is less common than 'conscript' or 'draft' in modern English.