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:
The financing package consists of a $14 billion bridge loan and a revolving credit facility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The Angels offer a family package — four tickets, four hot dogs, and four drinks — for $44.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Masino will be paid an estimated $4.6m as part of a departure package, according to the company's 8-K filing, external.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
I have a new severance package that will take me to age 64½.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
And as we said it, he slid the package back across the counter.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Lai also said pay packages were higher than what he could earn elsewhere and, after the nature of the work, compensation was the next most important factor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Since Kiki’s abilities allow her to defy gravity, she runs packages across town, avoiding auto traffic and pedestrian crowds.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Standard entry-level packages at top firms range from $350,000 to $500,000, but some starting offers have pushed well beyond that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Tickets purchased through packages offered by hospitality partner On Location do not count toward the 12-ticket limit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Camp food is so boring! I couldn’t wait for the packages my mom would send with snacks.”
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
Its 2,600 Los Angeles employees have access to a free commissary and an endless supply of cereal, packaged snacks and other prepared fare at small food stations scattered throughout the sprawling campus on Olympic Boulevard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
The study examined only packaged foods displayed on grocery store shelves.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
Same with precut or packaged lettuce, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, raspberries, snow peas and green onions.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
The next day, that name emerged: California-based Taylor Farms, the third-largest producer of fresh produce in the U.S., specializing in packaged salad kits and fresh-cut vegetables.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Other group members stored their bodily fluids in baby-food jars or wrote cryptic messages on packaged skirt steaks.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
At the same time, the state has passed various laws intended to protect people from PFAS, including banning them in food packaging and firefighting foam.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
It's no coincidence they are all German, as the country is known for its Packaging Valley, external, a hub for the packaging industry.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
And it invested in advanced packaging technology, stacking circuitry in unconventional ways to boost performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
"We'll see the real sustainability benefits start to scale as technologies like these mature and begin to handle more complex, high-barrier paper-based packaging, while matching the speed and cost of plastic packaging lines," he concludes.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Everything we use comes in boxes, cartons, bins, the so-called packaging we love so much.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
