cargo

noun

car·​go ˈkär-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce cargo (audio)
plural cargoes or cargos
Synonyms of cargo
: the goods or merchandise conveyed in a ship, airplane, or vehicle : freight
Dock workers were unloading the ship's cargo.

Synonyms of cargo

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Examples of cargo in a Sentence

The ship was carrying a cargo of crude oil. we put all of our cargo on the pack animals and began our journey through the canyon
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.
More than 80% of that cargo was bound for Asia, primarily China, India, Japan, and South Korea. — Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 Industry experts generally expect crude oil and LNG tankers to be granted priority clearance due to their criticality to global energy supplies, while container ships and other cargo vessels may face longer wait times. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 As investigators search for the missing cargo, Pabst has turned to social media to spread the word, offering a reward for information and jokingly urging whoever took the truck to bring it back before time runs out. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 New styles for men include relaxed straight painter jeans, baggy cargo and barrel fits and low-rise baggy jeans with drawstring waists. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cargo

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, load, charge, from cargar to load, from Late Latin carricare — more at charge entry 1

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cargo was in 1657

Phrases Containing cargo

Rhymes for cargo

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Browse Nearby Words

cargason
cargo
cargo cult
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Cite this Entry

“Cargo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cargo. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cargo

noun
car·​go ˈkär-ˌgō How to pronounce cargo (audio)
plural cargoes or cargos
: the goods transported in a ship, airplane, or vehicle : freight

More from Merriam-Webster on cargo

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cargo

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