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 contract logistics industry barely existed a few decades ago, when most companies handled their own packaging and shipping. —Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

That’s really the only difference between the two whiskeys, aside from the packaging which differs from the last two releases but still uses McLaren’s papaya orange color along with Old No. 7’s signature black. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2025

Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful? —Annie Blackman, Allure, 4 Apr. 2025

However, if feed grains, packaging materials, or transportation costs rise due to tariffs on imports (such as aluminum or fuel components), secondary effects could increase costs indirectly. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from gerund of package entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1