packaging

noun

1

: an act or instance of packaging something or someone: such as

a

: the enclosing of something in a container or covering

… damage caused by static charge during packaging, storing, and shipping.

—Chemical & Engineering News

b

: the presentation of something or someone to the public in a way that is designed to be attractive or appealing

This is public relations: the packaging of ideas, the execution of them, and the media coverage surrounding them.

—Robert Z. Chew

2

: material used to enclose or contain something

… the flashy packaging popularized by mass merchants.

—Jan Stafford

also : a covering wrapper or container : package entry 1 sense 3

the manufacture of food packagings

Examples of packaging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Native to southeast Asia, the beetle has infested every continent bar Antarctica, according to a study published in the Journal of Pest Science in June, stowing away in wood products, live plants and packaging materials. — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Cocaine with creative packaging Police provided no explanation for the stickers with the image of the golden-haired Norwegian striker. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Henkel Corporation is voluntarily recalling one of its Schwarzkopf Professional hair styling products sold in 12 states because of a packaging defect that could cause the aerosol can to leak and potentially explode under pressure. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026

That training of taking an idea, through product development, through packaging to pricing. — Steve Metsch, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from gerund of package entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1