cargo

noun

car·​go ˈkär-(ˌ)gō 

plural cargoes or cargos

: the goods or merchandise conveyed in a ship, airplane, or vehicle : freight

Dock workers were unloading the ship's cargo.

Synonyms of cargo

• payload
• burden
• loading
• load
• freight

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

After retirement, Brown flew commercial cargo aircraft before joining two US defense contractors to work as an instructor in flight simulators training US pilots to fly the US F-35 stealth fighter and A-10 attack jet, the statement said. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026

The Passport’s boxy cargo area is even more palatial than the Subaru’s, and its small storage areas and cupholders are more useful for holding your stuff and drinks. —ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026

Cuban Americans who have licenses to export food and other goods to Cuba, as well as some private business owners in Cuba, had recently started buying small quantities of diesel to be shipped to Cuba in isolated containers–called ISO tanks– that can be loaded into commercial cargo vessels. —Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026

Not to mention, the bag is equipped with plenty of interior pockets to keep your precious cargo secure. —Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026

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

Phrases Containing cargo

• cargo cult
• cargo pants
• cargo pocket

Rhymes for cargo

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

cargo

noun

car·​go ˈkär-ˌgō 

plural cargoes or cargos

: the goods transported in a ship, airplane, or vehicle : freight