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 landing, Chaparral released its cargo before taking off again, allowing supplies to be delivered without ground crews or specialized unloading infrastructure. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

Without the proper port facilities, regulations, safety protocols, and other essentials, nuclear cargo ships are as impractical as steamships without coal or oil refueling stations. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Terminal-specific operating windows vary, meaning the effect on individual vessels, trucks and rail services will depend on where cargo is moving and when. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026

Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said more than two-thirds of cargo moving in and out of the port is carried by trucks. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 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