1
a
: the action or process of packing something
also
: a method of packing
b
: the processing of food and especially meat for future sale
2
: material (such as a covering or stuffing) used to protect packed goods (as for shipping)
also
: material used for making airtight or watertight
packing for a faucet
3
US politics
: a form of gerrymandering in which election districts are drawn in such a way that voters likely to support the opposing party are concentrated into a single district to limit the influence of their votes in other districts
… it calculates the impact of the two mechanisms that create gerrymandering. The first of these is "packing," which means one side's votes have been overconcentrated so they win by huge margins in a small number of districts (creating a surplus of votes).—
G. Terry Madonna and Michael Young
compare cracking sense 2
G. Terry Madonna and Michael YoungExamples of packing in a Sentence
We finished all our packing yesterday.
I used some old newspapers for packing.
Recent Examples on the Web
If the bag has fewer pockets, travel pouches or packing cubes can help keep everything sorted.
—Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2025
Reece Weaver, who joined the DCC in 2023 and now enters her third season on the squad, also listed boot paint as a packing essential when breaking down her cheer bag last year in an Instagram video posted by Netflix in collaboration with the DCC's official page.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 22 July 2025
One of my favorite features is the expandable packing system that compresses from the outside with one push!
—Sarah Boyd, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Previously, our editor, Dominique Fluker, selected ten fashionable outfits from H&M’s summer assortment to inspire our festival goers as a packing guide for the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for packing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2025
Reece Weaver, who joined the DCC in 2023 and now enters her third season on the squad, also listed boot paint as a packing essential when breaking down her cheer bag last year in an Instagram video posted by Netflix in collaboration with the DCC's official page.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 22 July 2025
One of my favorite features is the expandable packing system that compresses from the outside with one push!
—Sarah Boyd, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Previously, our editor, Dominique Fluker, selected ten fashionable outfits from H&M’s summer assortment to inspire our festival goers as a packing guide for the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for packing
Cite this Entry
“Packing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/packing. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
packing
noun
pack·ing
ˈpak-iŋ 
1
: the therapeutic application of a pack
hemorrhage … could not be controlled by suture or packing—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association2
: the material used in packing
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share