Bag vs. Backpack: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on October 11, 2023
A bag is a general term for a container that holds items, while a backpack is a specific type of bag designed to be carried on one's back with two straps.
Key Differences
A bag is a versatile term, encompassing a variety of containers meant to hold or carry objects. This broad category can include anything from plastic grocery bags to stylish purses. Conversely, a backpack refers specifically to a design intended to be worn on the back, generally utilizing two straps that go over the shoulders. The primary function of a backpack is to distribute the weight of its contents across the shoulders and upper body, making it easier to carry heavier loads for longer periods.
Bags come in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and materials, designed for diverse purposes. Some bags are disposable, while others are meant to last for years. They can be sealed using zippers, buttons, drawstrings, or other mechanisms. In contrast, backpacks, while a subset of bags, are often associated with activities such as hiking, traveling, or studying. The compartmentalized design of many backpacks allows for organized storage and easy access to items.
From a fashion perspective, bags can be a statement piece, with designers creating luxury bags that function both as storage and as an accessory. In this context, the bag can transcend its utilitarian purpose. Backpacks, while also available in various styles and luxury brands, are more often viewed through a functional lens, especially when used for outdoor activities or schooling.
In daily parlance, when someone mentions a bag, it could refer to any container, and further clarification might be needed to understand the exact type. If someone speaks about a backpack, the mental image is much clearer: a bag designed to be carried on the back, suitable for a range of activities, from daily commutes to adventurous treks.
Comparison Chart
Definition
A container for holding items
A bag carried on one's back with two straps
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Variety
Broad range of designs and purposes
Specific design mainly for back carrying
Main Use
General purpose, varies based on type
Carrying items on one's back
Straps
May or may not have straps
Typically has two shoulder straps
Common Associations
Shopping, fashion, storage
School, hiking, travel
Bag and Backpack Definitions
Bag
A woman's purse or handbag.
Her bag matched her shoes perfectly.
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Backpack
A bag carried by straps over the shoulders.
She packed her backpack for the first day of school.
Bag
A quantity of game shot or caught.
He had a good bag after a day of hunting.
Backpack
A fashionable accessory worn on the back.
His new backpack had a trendy design and multiple pockets.
Bag
A container of flexible material, such as paper, plastic, or leather, that is used for carrying or storing items.
Backpack
To travel or hike carrying one's belongings in a backpack.
They decided to backpack across Europe for the summer.
Bag
A handbag; a purse.
Backpack
A bag designed for specific activities like photography or tech.
Her camera backpack had compartments for various lenses.
Bag
A piece of hand luggage, such as a suitcase or satchel.
Backpack
A pack used for hiking or camping.
His backpack was filled with camping gear for the weekend trip.
Bag
A pouchlike or sagging organ or part of the body, such as a cow's udder.
Backpack
A sturdy bag designed for carrying articles on a person's back, having shoulder straps and often mounted on a lightweight frame.
Bag
An object that resembles a pouch.
Backpack
A piece of equipment, often containing life-support devices, designed to be used while being carried on the back
A parachute in a backpack.
An astronaut's backpack.
Bag
(Nautical) The sagging or bulging part of a sail.
Backpack
To hike or travel while carrying a backpack.
Bag
The amount that a bag can hold.
Backpack
To carry in a backpack.
Bag
An amount of game taken or legally permitted to be taken.
Backpack
A knapsack, sometimes mounted on a light frame, but always supported by straps, worn on a person’s back for the purpose of carrying things, especially when hiking, or on a student's back when carrying books.
Bag
(Baseball) A base.
Backpack
A similarly placed item containing a parachute or other life-support equipment.
Bag
(Slang) An area of interest or skill
Cooking is not my bag.
Backpack
(intransitive) To hike and camp overnight in backcountry with one's gear carried in a backpack.
Bag
(Slang) A woman considered ugly or unkempt.
Backpack
(intransitive) To engage in low-cost, generally urban, travel with minimal luggage and frugal accommodation.
Bag
To put into a bag
Bag groceries.
Backpack
To place or carry (an item or items) in a backpack.
Bag
To cause to bulge like a pouch.
Backpack
A bag carried on the back, supported by straps looped over the shoulders.
Bag
To capture or kill as game
Bagged six grouse.
Backpack
To hike while carrying a backpack; - often used in the form go backpacking; as, to backpack through the forest.
Bag
To gain; acquire
He bagged a profit from the sale.
Backpack
A bag carried by a strap on your back or shoulder
Bag
To capture or arrest
Was bagged for trespassing.
Backpack
Hike with a backpack;
Every summer they are backpacking in the Rockies
Bag
To accomplish or achieve
Bagged a birdie with a long putt.
Bag
To fail to attend purposely; skip
Bagged classes for the day and went to the beach.
Bag
To stop doing or considering; abandon
Bagged the idea and started from scratch.
Bag
To terminate the employment of.
Bag
To pack items in a bag.
Bag
To hang loosely
The pants bag at the knees.
Bag
To swell out; bulge.
Bag
A soft container made out of cloth, paper, thin plastic, etc. and open at the top, used to hold food, commodities, and other goods.
Bag
A container made of leather, plastic, or other material, usually with a handle or handles, in which you carry personal items, or clothes or other things that you need for travelling. Includes shopping bags, schoolbags, suitcases, and handbags.
Bag
(colloquial) One's preference.
Acid House is not my bag: I prefer the more traditional styles of music.
Bag
(derogatory) An ugly woman.
Bag
A fellow gay man.
Bag
(baseball) The cloth-covered pillow used for first, second, and third base.
The grounder hit the bag and bounced over the fielder’s head.
Bag
(baseball) First, second, or third base.
He headed back to the bag.
Bag
(preceded by "the") A breathalyzer, so named because it formerly had a plastic bag over the end to measure a set amount of breath.
Bag
(mathematics) A collection of objects, disregarding order, but (unlike a set) in which elements may be repeated.
A bag of three apples could be represented symbolically as {a,a,a}. Or, letting 'r' denote 'red apple' and 'g' denote 'green apple', then a bag of three red apples and two green apples could be denoted as {r,r,r,g,g}.
Bag
A sac in animal bodies, containing some fluid or other substance.
The bag of poison in the mouth of some serpents
The bag of a cow
Bag
A pouch tied behind a man's head to hold the back-hair of a wig; a bag wig.
Bag
The quantity of game bagged in a hunt.
Bag
A scrotum.
Bag
(UK) A unit of measure of cement equal to 94 pounds.
Bag
A dark circle under the eye, caused by lack of sleep, drug addiction etc.
Bag
(slang) A small envelope that contains drugs, especially narcotics.
Bag
£1000, a grand.
Bag
(informal) A large number or amount.
Bag
(transitive) To put into a bag.
Bag
(transitive) To take with oneself, to assume into one's score
Bag
(informal) To catch or kill, especially when fishing or hunting.
We bagged three deer yesterday.
Bag
To gain possession of something, or to make first claim on something.
Bag
(slang) To steal.
Bag
To take a woman away with one as a romantic or sexual interest.
Bag
(slang) To arrest.
Bag
(transitive) To furnish or load with a bag.
Bag
To provide with artificial ventilation via a bag valve mask (BVM) resuscitator.
Bag
To fit with a bag to collect urine.
Bag
To expose exterior shape or physical behaviour resembling that of a bag
Bag
To (cause to) swell or hang down like a full bag.
The skin bags from containing morbid matter.
The brisk wind bagged the sails.
Bag
To hang like an empty bag.
His trousers bag at the knees.
Bag
To drop away from the correct course.
Bag
To become pregnant.
Bag
To forget, ignore, or get rid of.
Bag
To show particular puffy emotion
Bag
To swell with arrogance.
Bag
To laugh uncontrollably.
Bag
To criticise sarcastically.
Bag
A sack or pouch, used for holding anything; as, a bag of meal or of money.
Bag
A sac, or dependent gland, in animal bodies, containing some fluid or other substance; as, the bag of poison in the mouth of some serpents; the bag of a cow.
Bag
A sort of silken purse formerly tied about men's hair behind, by way of ornament.
Bag
The quantity of game bagged.
Bag
A certain quantity of a commodity, such as it is customary to carry to market in a sack; as, a bag of pepper or hops; a bag of coffee.
Bag
To put into a bag; as, to bag hops.
Bag
To seize, capture, or entrap; as, to bag an army; to bag game.
Bag
To furnish or load with a bag or with a well filled bag.
A bee bagged with his honeyed venom.
Bag
To swell or hang down like a full bag; as, the skin bags from containing morbid matter.
Bag
To swell with arrogance.
Bag
To become pregnant.
Bag
A flexible container with a single opening;
He stuffed his laundry into a large bag
Bag
The quantity of game taken in a particular period (usually by one person);
His bag included two deer
Bag
Place that runner must touch before scoring;
He scrambled to get back to the bag
Bag
A bag used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women);
She reached into her bag and found a comb
Bag
The quantity that a bag will hold;
He ate a large bag of popcorn
Bag
A portable rectangular traveling bag for carrying clothes;
He carried his small bag onto the plane with him
Bag
An ugly or ill-tempered woman;
He was romancing the old bag for her money
Bag
Mammary gland of bovids (cows and sheep and goats)
Bag
An activity that you like or at which you are superior;
Chemistry is not my cup of tea
His bag now is learning to play golf
Marriage was scarcely his dish
Bag
Capture or kill, as in hunting;
Bag a few pheasants
Bag
Hang loosely, like an empty bag
Bag
Bulge out; form a bulge outward, or be so full as to appear to bulge
Bag
Take unlawfully
Bag
Put into a bag;
The supermarket clerk bagged the groceries
Bag
A flexible container with an opening at the top.
She rummaged through her bag to find her keys.
Bag
A sack or pouch used for a particular purpose.
The tea came in a small mesh bag.
Bag
An informal term for a base in baseball.
The runner was safe at first bag.
FAQs
Which is generally larger
a bag or a backpack?
Yes, like "a bag of apples" or "bagging a trophy" in hunting.
Why do backpacks typically have two straps?
Most bags are, but some might be more for storage or other specific purposes.
Is there a specific age group that uses backpacks?
No, backpacks are versatile and used by people of all ages.
Can "bag" refer to a quantity of something?
It varies, but backpacks are often larger and designed to carry more.
Are all bags designed to be carried?
No, some have buckles, drawstrings, or other closure methods.
Can a bag be considered luggage?
Yes, larger bags designed for travel can be termed luggage.
Is a backpack suitable for carrying a laptop?
To evenly distribute weight across both shoulders, making it more comfortable.
Are there bags designed for men and women specifically?
Yes, many people use backpacks to carry their gym essentials.
How do you clean a bag or backpack?
Brand, material, craftsmanship, and design can influence the price.
Do all backpacks have zippers?
Generally, yes. The term "rucksack" is more commonly used in British English.
Can "bag" have negative connotations?
a bag or a backpack?
A bag is a broader term and encompasses more varieties, so it's arguably more versatile.
Yes, some bags, especially in fashion, are gender-specific, but many are unisex.
Can you use a backpack as a gym bag?
It depends on the material, but many can be wiped down or machine washed.
Why are some bags very expensive?
In slang, it can, e.g., "bag of bones" or "old bag."
Do backpacks come in different sizes?
Yes, from small daypacks to large backpacking packs.
Which is more versatile
Many backpacks come with padded compartments specifically for laptops.
What's a "baggy"?
It's an adjective describing something loose or hanging in folds.
Is a rucksack the same as a backpack?
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
