package
Americannoun
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a bundle of something, usually of small or medium size, that is packed and wrapped or boxed; parcel.
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a container, as a box or case, in which something is or may be packed.
- Synonyms:
- carton
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something conceived of as a compact unit having particular characteristics.
That child is a package of mischief.
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the packing of goods, freight, etc.
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a finished product contained in a unit that is suitable for immediate installation and operation, as a power or heating unit.
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a group, combination, or series of related parts or elements to be accepted or rejected as a single unit.
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a complete program produced for the theater, television, etc., or a series of these, sold as a unit.
verb (used with object)
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to make or put into a package.
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to design and manufacture a package for (a product or series of related products).
They package their soaps in eye-catching wrappers.
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to group or combine (a series of related parts) into a single unit.
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to combine the various elements of (a tour, entertainment, etc.) for sale as a unit.
noun
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any wrapped or boxed object or group of objects
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a proposition, offer, or thing for sale in which separate items are offered together as a single or inclusive unit
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( as modifier )
a package holiday
a package deal
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a complete unit consisting of a number of component parts sold separately
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the act or process of packing or packaging
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computing a set of programs designed for a specific type of problem in statistics, production control, etc, making it unnecessary for a separate program to be written for each problem
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another word for pack 1
verb
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to wrap in or put into a package
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to design and produce a package for (retail goods)
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to group (separate items) together as a single unit
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to compile (complete books) for a publisher to market
Synonym Usage
Package, pack, packet, parcel refer to a bundle or to something fastened together. A package is a bundle of things packed and wrapped: a package from the drugstore. A pack is a large bundle or bale of things put or fastened together, usually wrapped up or in a bag, case, etc., to be carried by a person or a beast of burden: a peddler's pack. A packet, originally a package of letters or dispatches, is a small package or bundle: a packet of gems. A parcel is an object or objects wrapped up to form a single, small bundle: a parcel containing two dresses.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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subpackagenoun
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mispackageverb (used with object)
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mispackagedadjective
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packageableadjective
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unpackagedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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packagesimple
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packagessimple
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have packagedperfect
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has packagedperfect
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am packagingprogressive
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are packagingprogressive
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is packagingprogressive
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have been packagingperfect progressive
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has been packagingperfect progressive
Past
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packagedsimple
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had packagedperfect
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was packagingprogressive
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were packagingprogressive
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had been packagingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of package
First recorded in 1605–15, package is from the Dutch word pakkage “baggage.” See pack 1, -age
Explanation
A package is a wrapped bundle or a container of something. If you order new socks online, they'll be delivered to your door in a package a few days later. A package might be wrapped in colorful wrapping paper, or it may simply be a container that holds an item or a collection of them, like a package of peppermints. To package is to enclose something in a box or other container: "You should package your brownies and sell them at the farmer's market!" Package stems either from the noun pack, or possibly from the Dutch pakkage, or "baggage."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Hospitality bosses welcomed the support, but some pub owners said the package would not go far enough to offset the impact of cost increases elsewhere.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
When the camera detects a violation, it generates an evidence package, consisting of the date, time and location, as well as still images.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Max spent £20,000 from his redundancy package buying and converting a horsebox trailer into a pizza truck, which now caters for weddings, parties and pop-ups.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
One drone can release chaff to hide another or create enough confusion for a strike package to get through.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
She rips open the package of Oreos and dunks one into her glass of milk until it’s sopping wet.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
A tranquil opening shot consists of a beautiful seaside view that’s quickly invaded by buzzing drones carrying packages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
More than 4,500 Google workers signed a petition demanding protections such as voluntary exit packages and guaranteed severance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Civil servants based in central London have been offered relocation packages to encourage them to move to the North of England, the BBC understands.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The NCA said bank records showed that Jogesh Bhandari and his wife, Meenakashi Bhandari, both of Mitchell Drive in Loughborough, Leicestershire, used the money to buy Rolexes, jewellery, holiday packages and cars.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Ray runs his hands over the packages of paper towels.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Same with precut or packaged lettuce, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, raspberries, snow peas and green onions.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
But they are packaged into different tranches in order of who will get repaid first if the money dries up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Same with precut or packaged lettuce, which officials urged should be bought whole and uncut.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Rather, the problem is foods being “separated from nature,” with UPFs being “branded,” “convenient,” “highly profitable,” and “usually packaged attractively and marketed intensively.”
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
Units of hereditary information, encoded in DNA and packaged on chromosomes, are transmitted through sperm and egg into an embryo, and from the embryo to every living cell in an organism’s body.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
BuzzBallz's UK FAQs, now also deleted, stated: "Yes, our packaging is recyclable. Please recycle your empties where local facilities allow."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
After packaging, lettuce is loaded onto temperature-controlled trucks that travel to distribution centers across the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"There's nothing environmentally positive about mixing packaging types."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Therefore, he expects companies specializing in HBM and advanced chip packaging to maintain strong pricing power.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
The grease leaked from the packaging, and the aroma of the Cheeze Whiz and grilled onions rose from a puncture in the aluminum foil.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
