shipping

1 of 2

noun

ship·​ping ˈshi-piŋ How to pronounce shipping (audio)
Synonyms of shippingnext
1
a
: passage on a ship
b
: ships
c
: the body of ships in one place or belonging to one port or country
2
: the act or business of one that ships

shipping

2 of 2

present participle of ship entry 2, ship entry 3

Examples of shipping in a Sentence

Noun The fruit was ready for shipping. They protected our shipping from submarines during wartime.
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.
Noun
For example, a shipping query directly from a customer is cheap to get wrong, so the AI agent should handle it end-to-end with the write access to actually update the order. — Antony P Gregory, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 In the company’s annual Peak Season Consumer Survey, 78 percent of consumers polled said that when comparing similar products at the same price, shipping fastest was most important. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 By the way, the original Cinnamon Ancho Tacolate is available year-round at all Salt & Straw shops and via Salt & Straw's website, which offers nationwide shipping. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 If everything goes as planned, shipping is scheduled to begin in October. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shipping

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of shipping was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing shipping

Rhymes for shipping

See All Rhymes for shipping

Browse Nearby Words

shipper fork
shipping
shipping and handling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shipping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shipping. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

shipping

noun
ship·​ping
ˈship-iŋ
1
: the body of ships in one place or belonging to one port or country
2
: the act or business of one that ships goods

More from Merriam-Webster on shipping

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shipping

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shipping

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