baggage

1 of 2

noun (1)

bag·​gage ˈba-gij 

1

: suitcases, trunks, and personal belongings of travelers : luggage

2

: transportable equipment especially of a military force

3

: intangible things (such as feelings, circumstances, or beliefs) that get in the way

emotional baggage

baggage

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

dated : a contemptible or disreputable woman

"I can buy her off. If she took money from him—the mercenary, painted baggage!—why, then, she'll take it from me."

—Edward Bulwer-Lytton

2

dated : a young woman

Examples of baggage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The drug’s relative obscurity has allowed its champions to shake off the baggage of the nineteen-sixties, and to position its use, not as hippie hedonism but as a medical intervention compatible with patriotic duty and Christian faith. — Michelle Lhooq, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026

The device can deliver speedy phone charging and doubles as a mains power extension with a portable form factor that won’t eat up too much of your baggage allowance. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

At least, that’s according to bosses and recruiters that the Wall Street Journal spoke to, who complain that their Gen Z new hires are coming with the hefty baggage of overbearing parents. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026

The arrest unfolded on Tuesday, July 28, as the pilot entered the baggage inspection area at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia — located outside the capital city of Jakarta. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English bagage, from Middle French, from bagues belongings, baggage

Noun (2)

probably modification of Middle French bagasse, from Old Occitan bagassa

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 21

Noun (2)

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing baggage

• bag and baggage
• baggage claim
• hand baggage

Kids Definition

baggage

noun

bag·​gage

ˈbag-ij

: the traveling bags and personal belongings of a traveler : luggage