packet

noun

pack·​et ˈpa-kət 

1

a

: a small bundle or parcel

b

: a small thin package

c British

(1)

: pay envelope

(2)

: salary, paycheck

d

chiefly British : a considerable amount

that trip will cost a packet

2

a

: a number of letters dispatched at one time

b

: a small group, cluster, or mass

3

: a passenger boat usually carrying mail and cargo

4

British : a pack of cigarettes

5

: a short fixed-length section of data that is transmitted as a unit in an electronic communications network

Synonyms of packet

• bag
• bundle
• package
• pack
• pouch

Examples of packet in a Sentence

I got two packets of broccoli seeds to plant this summer.

He puts two packets of sugar in his coffee.

Could you get me another packet of ketchup?

Your information packet includes a map and a schedule of all the events at the conference.

I received the packet of legal papers today.

Recent Examples on the Web

But much of what’s included in county agenda packets are things like contracts and scans of documents that the county didn’t itself create, Lasky explained, which means the county can’t create the documents to be ADA-compliant from the beginning. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026

Consider keeping this list accessible — on your phone, at the front desk, or in your adoption packet. —Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026

Some pharmacies will even package your medications into packets, one for each time slot in each day. —Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026

Sometimes the actress and the publicist would talk well into the night, going through packets of cigarettes. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pekette, pakat, from Anglo-French pacquet, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch pak pack

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing packet

• pay packet
• press packet
• wave packet

Rhymes for packet

• bracket
• jacket
• racket
• racquet
• straitjacket

Kids Definition

packet

noun

pack·​et ˈpak-ət 

1

: a passenger boat carrying mail and cargo on a regular schedule

2

: a small bundle or parcel