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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Others form when larger plastics—like water bottles, packaging, and even surgical gloves—break down. — Bill Frist, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 Its packaging, a jewel-like blue bottle engraved with a golden lotus, looks like it was plucked from a fantasy apothecary in the night sky. — Jenny Berg, Allure, 13 Mar. 2025 In related news, the director of California’s recycling agency, Rachel Wagoner, helped write the single-use plastics law — before going to work for the plastics and packaging companies that critics say are attempting to derail the law. — Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2025 Those materials could then be converted into yarn for new clothing, non-food-grade plastic packaging or other applications. — Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for packaging

Word History

Etymology

from gerund of package entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of packaging was circa 1875

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Packaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/packaging. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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