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

Today, with observers in the cab, Aurora is moving actual cargo, including flooring, drinks and packages, on actual freeways; more than 100,000 miles worth of autonomous trips, with no human interventions and a perfect safety record, the company says. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 24 Nov. 2025

Further supporting its versatile cargo options, the compact truck includes an in-bed trunk; similar to what’s found in the Honda Ridgeline. —James Raia, Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2025

Several cargo containers involved in the blaze carry hazardous materials, requiring firefighters to wear protective suits and oxygen masks, Van Gerpen said. —Hanna Park, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025

They can be used for transporting disaster relief aid, cargo and people, the company said. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025

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