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

But tensions flared back up later in the month after disputes over alternative shipping channels and alleged U.S. bypass moves.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

The closure of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and Houthi threats to Red Sea shipping continue to pose further risks, while U.S.-Iran tensions remain high.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The US military's Joint Taskforce-Micronesia told AFP the port will "expand Palau's capacity for commercial shipping and larger vessels while simultaneously enhancing the US military's logistical options for regional defence".

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

It seized control of significant new territory across Yemen's south-western coast last week, including areas overlooking the crucial Bab al-Mandab waterway, strengthening its ability to enforce its declared blockade of Saudi shipping.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

The station was broadcasting vital details to Germany about New York shipping traffic.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• freight
• ship