baggage

American  

[bag-ij] / ˈbæg ɪdʒ /

noun

1. trunks, suitcases, etc., used in traveling; luggage.

2. the portable equipment of an army.

3. things that encumber one's freedom, progress, development, or adaptability; impediments.

   intellectual baggage that keeps one from thinking clearly; neurotic conflicts that arise from struggling with too much emotional baggage.

4. Archaic.

   1. a worthless woman.

   2. a prostitute or disreputable woman.

   3. Often Disparaging. a pert, playful young woman or girl.

      a pretty baggage; a saucy baggage.

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baggage British  

/ ˈbæɡɪdʒ /

noun

1. 1. suitcases, bags, etc, packed for a journey; luggage

   2. ( as modifier )

      baggage car

2. an army's portable equipment

3. informal

   1. a pert young woman

   2. an immoral woman or prostitute

4. informal a cantankerous old woman

5. informal previous knowledge and experience that a person may use or be influenced by in new circumstances

   cultural baggage

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Etymology

Origin of baggage

1400–50; late Middle English bagage < Middle French, equivalent to Old French bag ( ues ) bundles, packs (perhaps < Old Norse; bag ) + -age -age

Explanation

Baggage is another word for the bags you put your stuff in when you travel. It’s also known as "luggage" or "suitcases." If someone says you have baggage but you’re not holding anything, they’re talking about emotional baggage. Baggage is the fancy suitcase you collect from an airport carousel or the duffel bag you get out of the trunk. It’s any travel bag you have your personal belongings in. Baggage can also refer to emotions from the past that get in the way of the present. In military terminology, baggage is any equipment that can be carried or hauled along. This is the original definition, from the Old French baggage, "military equipment," from bague, for "bag or bundle."

Example Sentences

On Friday, just a few dozen travellers were in the usually packed departures hall, as porters sat on empty baggage carts and soldiers kept watch at the terminal entrance.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

But that tax doesn’t apply to a cost like a baggage fee, which may explain why some airlines have raised that fee.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

But it does mean that your new partner may come with some baggage, and perhaps with some growth opportunities in the area of communication.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Still, as the top Cabinet official in the presidential line of succession after the VP, secretaries of state are often ambitious pols who bring baggage all their own.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

The main topic of conversation was Charles and Camilla’s itinerary—how they would manage the baggage, what time they should call the taxi in order to make a six-thirty train.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• equipment
• gear
• luggage
• paraphernalia