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Glite Dictionary
death duty

death duty

8.1
A tax paid to the government on things a person owned when they died
  • noun
  • /dɛθ ˈdjuːti/
  • Archaic
translation icon : impuesto de sucesiones
  • After the estate was valued, the heirs were shocked to learn how much death duty they owed.

Examples

  • The family struggled to pay the death duty on their father's estate after his passing.

  • You know, taxes, death duties.

    Curdled (1996)

  • We can delay the death duties so you can stay in the house for the time being, but inevitably, the state will take it and sell it at auction.

    Hannibal Rising (2007)

  • Death duties on my uncle's estate have finally forced the sale of the chateau.

    Hannibal Rising (2007)

  • In 1872, Great Britain and Switzerland (Canton of Vaud) concluded an agreement for the prevention of double taxation in respect of death duties.

    Blog text (8)

  • Many people underestimate the financial burden of death duties when planning their inheritances.

Synonyms

estate tax
vsdeath duty
  • Specialized
29 4.8

A tax on someone's money and property when they die before their family gets it

is paid on the assets without focusing on valuation before distribution
death tax
vsdeath duty
  • US
8 5.9

A government charge on property given to people after someone dies

is the specific payment on assets rather than a general transfer levy
inheritance tax
vsdeath duty
4 4.3

A tax on money or property you receive when someone dies

is paid on the whole assets rather than on shares received by individuals

Surface Forms

death duty singular
death duties plural

Morphology

death + duty

The compound is directly compositional: combining 'death' (end of life) with 'duty' (a tax/levy) yields a tax associated with death — i.e., a tax on a deceased person's estate. This meaning is predictable from the constituents and parallels literal forms in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer the correct sense.

Etymology

Death duty comes from the simple idea that duty means 'tax' and that it is charged at death. Imagine officials counting a person's goods and taking a share when someone dies, so the phrase means a 'tax' on a person's 'estate'.