shipping

¹ American  

[ship-ing] / ˈʃɪp ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or business of a person or thing that ships.

2. a number of ships, especially merchant ships, taken as a whole; tonnage.

3. Obsolete. a voyage.

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shipping ² American  

[ship-ing] / ˈʃɪp ɪŋ /

noun

Slang.

1. the act or practice of discussing, writing about, or hoping for a romantic relationship between fictional characters, as in fan fiction, or between famous people, whether or not the romance actually exists in the book, show, etc., or in real life.

   the shipping of TV characters;

   shipping in webcomics.

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shipping British  

/ ˈʃɪpɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the business of transporting freight, esp by ship

   2. ( as modifier )

      a shipping magnate

      shipping line

2. 1. ships collectively

      there is a lot of shipping in the Channel

   2. the tonnage of a number of ships

      shipping for this year exceeded that of last

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Usage

What else does shipping mean? Shipping is the act of wanting two or more fictional characters or celebrities to end up in a relationship, usually romantic.

Other Word Forms

• nonshipping
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of shipping¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at ship ¹, -ing ¹

Origin of shipping²

First recorded in 1990–95; (relation)ship + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shipping

Iran did not acknowledge being responsible, but shipping analysts have said it was likely to have been behind the Minoan Pioneer attack on 3 August.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

China’s auto factories are building so many cars for export that the global shipping industry can’t keep up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

On 3 August, shipping security firm Vanguard reported the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer was struck by a projectile near Oman.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The debate has flared as precariously falling water levels have revealed vast sandbanks on the Rhine, Danube, Elbe and other rivers, severely impacting cargo shipping crucial for many industries.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Ama took us here to find the legendary hero Benefo, just so he could betray us and deliver us to Nansi with same-day shipping.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• freight
• ship