terms of service

plural noun

: the legal terms (see term entry 1 sense 4) that set forth the nature, scope, and limits of a service (such as one offered through a website or an app) and the rules that the service's users must agree to follow
… Twitter users' complaints alerted the company that three of his messages violated the terms of serviceJake Tapper
… most people have no idea what is signed away when they click "agree" to binding terms of service contracts—again and again on phones, laptops, tablets, watches, e-readers and televisions.The New York Times
abbreviation TOS

Examples of terms of service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Both initiatives sought to keep platforms from enforcing their terms of service, on the grounds that the companies were violating Americans’ free-speech rights. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2024 But the language in the new terms of service does not differentiate between the types of accounts. Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024 Related Disney wants to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit because of a Disney Plus agreement Many services put mandatory arbitration agreements in their terms of service, which people may not even read or fully understand. Emma Roth, The Verge, 27 Sep. 2024 Always do everything by the book and follow all of Amazon’s terms of service. Duffy Young, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for terms of service 

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of terms of service was in 1994

Dictionary Entries Near terms of service

Cite this Entry

“Terms of service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terms%20of%20service. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!