payload

American  

[pey-lohd] / ˈpeɪˌloʊd /

noun

payloads plural

1. the part of a cargo producing revenue or income, usually expressed in weight.

2. the number of paying passengers, as on an airplane.

3. Aerospace, Military.

   1. the bomb load, warhead, cargo, or passengers of an aircraft, a rocket, missile, etc., for delivery at a target or destination.

   2. the total complement of equipment carried by a spacecraft for the performance of a particular mission in space.

   3. the explosive energy of the warhead of a missile or of the bomb load of an aircraft.

      a payload of 50 megatons.

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payload British  

/ ˈpeɪˌləʊd /

noun

1. that part of a cargo earning revenue

2. 1. the passengers, cargo, or bombs carried by an aircraft

   2. the equipment carried by a rocket, satellite, or spacecraft

3. the explosive power of a warhead, bomb, etc, carried by a missile or aircraft

   a missile carrying a 50-megaton payload

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• payloads
  plural

Etymology

Origin of payload

First recorded in 1925–30; pay ¹ + load

Explanation

Payload is what a vehicle carries. If you have a plane with a payload of one ton, then that plane can carry one ton (including you and the snacks you may bring aboard). Often, payload is estimated to be everything on board a vehicle that's worth money, or that produces income for the vehicle's owner. In the case of a commercial jet, that might be all the paying passengers. In other cases, a truck, ship, or plane's payload includes every single person and item on board, including the flight crew and fuel. From about 1936, payload frequently referred to bombs carried by a military plane or missile.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

payload payloads

“Starship is critical to SpaceX’s Starlink and AI roadmap, both of which require payload mass and volume that Falcon 9 cannot efficiently support,” Yu wrote in a note.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

As a result, only about 40% of the mass Starship places into orbit is useful payload.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

The Long March 10B, which can carry a payload of at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, has been compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Visitors walking around the bend of the center’s second-floor gallery can peek inside the payload bay, which was used to transport cargo like satellites into space.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

The gold on his body was definitely smoking now, attracted to the catapult’s payload like iron to a giant magnet.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

"It's akin to having weather stations in different locations on Earth. These three payloads are flight-proven and their data is critical to supporting safe human exploration of the lunar surface."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

It aims to launch its Neutron medium-lift rocket for the first time later this year, which would allow Rocket Lab to send larger payloads to space.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

Prized for their payloads, long ranges and ability to fly at high altitudes, B-52s have played a role in many U.S. conflicts, including the war with Iran.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

The company has sketched out a future in which Starship is flying thousands of times a year, regularly deploying satellites and other payloads for customers and SpaceX’s own Starlink internet division.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

From the three sabotaged machines, the payloads veered sideways, arcing towards the barrage from the other three onagers.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan