Cargo vs. Payload

Freight carried by a ship, aircraft, or motor vehicle.

(Papua New Guinea) Western material goods.

The lading or freight of a ship or other vessel; the goods, merchandise, or whatever is conveyed in a vessel or boat; load; freight.

Example: ‘Cargoes of food or clothing.’;

goods carried by a large vehicle

In economics, the word cargo refers in particular to goods or produce being conveyed—generally for commercial gain—by water, air or land. Freight is the price paid to carry cargo.

That part of a cargo that produces revenue.

The total weight of passengers, crew, equipment, and cargo carried by an aircraft or spacecraft.

That part of a rocket, missile, propelled stinger, or torpedo that is not concerned with propulsion or guidance, such as a warhead or satellite.

(computing) The functional part of a computer virus or another type of malware program, rather than the part that spreads it.

(communication) The actual data in a data stream.

The part of a missile or torpedo that carries the explosive charge.

The goods carried by a large vehicle.

the front part of a guided missile or rocket or torpedo that carries the nuclear or explosive charge or the chemical or biological agents

goods carried by a large vehicle

Payload is the object or the entity which is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight.