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

In the Netherlands and neighboring Germany cargo ships that ply the Rhine and its offshoots have been forced to carry significantly less freight or risk running aground in shallow navigation channels. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Among those were a cargo ship and an LPG tanker, shipping analytics firm Kpler reported on Friday. — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

And Ukrainian drones are attacking Russian oil tankers and cargo vessels in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in an attempt to stop the country’s maritime oil and grain exports. — Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2026

The combination cargo and cruise ship Aranui V is a frequent visitor on its sailings from Tahiti, while the luxurious Paul Gauguin also periodically visits from Tahiti. — Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 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