often attributive
1
a
: the compensation paid for the transportation of goods
b
: cost
help pay the freight
2
a
: goods to be shipped : cargo
The freight arrived by steamboat.
c
: meaning sense 3, significance
words that carry psychological freight, such as "family," "work," and "sex"
3
a
: the ordinary transportation of goods by a common carrier and distinguished from express
b
: a train designed or used for such transportation
an eastbound freight
freighted; freighting; freights
2
: to transport or ship by freight
Examples of freight in a Sentence
Noun
trains that carry both passengers and freight
The freight arrived by steamboat.
The order was shipped by freight.
Verb
it took six hours to freight the cargo airplane
Recent Examples on the Web
Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
According to the institute statement, which remained ambiguous about the mosquito’s permanence, the insect probably arrived via freight transportation.
—Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025
Sarah Mower, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2025
Once ignored, it is suddenly freighted with meaning.
—Anne Marie Chaker, Time, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for freight
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Noun
The companies project that truckload freight costs will increase slightly by the end of the year, and predict that the costs of both ground parcel and express parcel are also expected to climb in Q4.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
According to the institute statement, which remained ambiguous about the mosquito’s permanence, the insect probably arrived via freight transportation.
—Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Demna’s work was hugely politically freighted at times, and Piccioli has spoken out, particularly on conservative views about women, in the past.
—Sarah Mower, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2025
Once ignored, it is suddenly freighted with meaning.
—Anne Marie Chaker, Time, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for freight
Cite this Entry
“Freight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freight. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
freight
1 of 2 noun1
: the amount paid (as to a shipping company) for carrying goods
2
a
: goods or cargo carried by ship, train, truck, or airplane
b
: the carrying of goods from one place to another by vehicle
ship the order by freight
3
: a train that carries freight
freight
2 of 2 verb1
: to load for transportation
2
: to ship by freight
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