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

This is the third flight of the cargo Dragon that will be outfitted with reboost capacity for the International Space Station for the first time. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026

These cargo-style linen pants from Lands' End have roomy front and side pockets that are actually useful, not just decorative. —Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 17 June 2026

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing to launch a high-visibility dashboard that links major freight hubs with supply chain partners to help identify bottlenecks more quickly and accelerate cargo processing. —Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 17 June 2026

The two-part aka Charlie Sheen, directed by Andrew Renzi, is also a portrait of a star with more baggage than an airline cargo hold. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 June 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