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

The project is the third in the KREPE series, which uses the disposal of cargo spacecraft to test technologies without requiring dedicated launches. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026

The ministry said that port and ship repair facilities in the southern Odesa region and ships carrying cargo for the Ukrainian military were also hit. — Samya Kullab, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026

Elon Musk’s company will launch more than 6,000 pounds of cargo, including the last of a series of solar panel additions, toilet pump, spacewalking suit, and fresh fruit and other goodies. — Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

The rise in attacks comes even as more crude has been flowing out of the Gulf, highlighting the ongoing risks to crew and cargoes. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 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