packaging

American  

[pak-uh-jing] / ˈpæk ə dʒɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of packing or forming packages.

   At the end of the production line is a machine for packaging.

2. the package in which merchandise is sold or displayed.

   Attractive packaging can help sell a product.

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packaging British  

/ ˈpækɪdʒɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the box or wrapping in which a product is offered for sale

   2. the design of such a box or wrapping, esp with reference to its ability to attract customers

2. the presentation of a person, product, television programme, etc, to the public in a way designed to build up a favourable image

3. the work of a packager

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Etymology

Origin of packaging

First recorded in 1870–75; package + -ing ¹

Explanation

Packaging is the material used to enclose, protect, and even promote things that are for sale. It’s all about presentation. If you’re having trouble selling lemonade out of an old pickle jar, perhaps you should change the packaging. Walk through a supermarket or a drug store and you'll see many different kinds of packaging, from hard plastic medicine bottles to cardboard cereal boxes and glass jars of spaghetti sauce. You can call the act or business of putting all these items into containers packaging too. There's also a figurative meaning of this noun, "presenting something in a flattering or beneficial way," as in: "The advisors' packaging of the candidate makes him seem much smarter."

Example Sentences

Cerebras’ unusually large artificial-intelligence chips excel at running models at speed, while also sidestepping some of the networking and packaging required for connecting thousands of high-end processors from Nvidia or other chip makers.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

A notice from the company described the cause of the problem as a "packaging defect".

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Higher energy prices spilled over to shipping, packaging, groceries and fertilizer.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

They show up directly in inflation data like PCE but also affect shipping, airline fares, food production, utilities, packaging, business profit margins and consumer psychology.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026

With relief he peels back the foil covering his breakfast, extracts the silverware from its sealed plastic packaging, asks the British Airways stewardess for a glass of orange juice.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri