packaging

noun

1

: an act or instance of packaging something or someone: such as

a

: the enclosing of something in a container or covering

… damage caused by static charge during packaging, storing, and shipping.

—Chemical & Engineering News

b

: the presentation of something or someone to the public in a way that is designed to be attractive or appealing

This is public relations: the packaging of ideas, the execution of them, and the media coverage surrounding them.

—Robert Z. Chew

2

: material used to enclose or contain something

… the flashy packaging popularized by mass merchants.

—Jan Stafford

also : a covering wrapper or container : package entry 1 sense 3

the manufacture of food packagings

Examples of packaging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Decorating for the holidays can get pricey fast and lead to a lot of unnecessary waste in the form of plastic packaging, single-use decor, and more. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2025

It could also be used for things like food containers, packaging, and single-use items designed to hold shape for hours, then fall apart days later. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Nov. 2025

The company offers several services, including hot and cold pack filling, tumble filling, vacuum packing, pasteurization, packaging and label production. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025

Images investigators took inside the building show dozens of new phones piled up, still in their packaging. —Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from gerund of package entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1