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

The plant will focus on advanced packaging, which involves combining multiple memory chips into a single, high-density unit to improve performance and energy efficiency while reducing overall size. —Dylan Butts, CNBC, 13 Jan. 2026

An over-the-counter dietary supplement has been recalled because the packaging doesn’t let customers know about ingredients that can have life-threatening side effects. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026

The packaging holds it firmly in place and the cutter provides a clean straight edge. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2026

This includes items like nonstick cookware, water-repellent fabrics and food packaging resistant to oil and grease. —Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from gerund of package entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1