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

Example Sentences

Now that I’ve laid out my budgeting baggage, we want to hear from you: What’s the biggest money mistake you’ve ever made?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Eastern time on Sunday, according to reports on social media, with travelers forced to navigate a wait for security screening that stretched through the baggage claim area.

From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026

"I went to the baggage area and Joshua, my brother, had rang me and he told me that they had gone," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

“There’s a lot of baggage wrapped up in piety,” Mr. Sasse says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

They trudged up the beach with their baggage looking for shelter but they found none.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

Related Words

• equipment
• gear
• luggage
• paraphernalia