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

Most tags only contain limited information, such as name, flight number and baggage IDs, and airlines' tracking systems can sometimes detect if a claim is fake by reviewing baggage scan logs and RFID tagging. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025

His black sheep brother Vince (Bateman) shows up in town running from legal and financial trouble at just the wrong moment, and Vince's very bad baggage threatens everything Jake has built. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025

Those budget airlines long relied on rock-bottom fares and fees for everything else from seat assignments to cabin baggage, a model large network airlines have copied with their basic economy tickets. —Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025

But that strong association with hospitals and hospice care carries negative baggage. —Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

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 1

Noun (2)

1594, 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