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

According to the company, ocean carriers increased blank sailings during that week to counter softening demand following the end of the Lunar New Year cargo rush. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 Jan. 2026

The new location puts the company closer to PortMiami downtown and will bring employees from the company’s cargo and cruise divisions together under one roof, said Rubén Rodríguez, CEO of the company’s North American cruise division. —Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026

Media reports said cargo fell from the truck and ruptured a section of its fuel tank. —Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 27 Jan. 2026

All those great ships, their holds full of human cargo, had been conjured up in an unremarkable spot in present-day Mudchute Park. —Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 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