Comparisons Wiki

Bag vs. Backpack: Difference and Comparison

Edited by Muazma Batool — By Muneeza Rehman — Updated on September 26, 2023
A "bag" is a general term for a container used to carry items, while a "backpack" is specifically designed to be worn on the back, typically with two shoulder straps.
Bag vs. Backpack

Difference Between Bag and Backpack

A "bag" is a broad term that encompasses various types of containers designed to hold or transport items. From plastic grocery bags to fashionable purses, the spectrum of what can be classified as a bag is vast. Their designs can range widely, depending on their intended use. They can be closed with zippers, snaps, drawstrings, or left open, and they can be held or carried in numerous ways – by handles, over the shoulder, around the wrist, or even in the hand.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
In contrast, a "backpack" is a type of bag characterized by its design to be worn on the back. Typically, backpacks come with two shoulder straps, allowing for even weight distribution, making them ideal for carrying heavier loads over longer distances. Often associated with students carrying books or hikers bearing gear, backpacks are designed for comfort and efficiency.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023
While all backpacks can be classified as bags due to their primary function as containers, not all bags can be labeled as backpacks. The distinct feature of backpacks being worn on the back sets them apart from other bags. For instance, while a handbag can be a type of bag, it's not worn on the back and, thus, isn't a backpack.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
In daily conversations, the term "bag" might be used more generically, whereas "backpack" is specific. If someone mentions they bought a new bag, it could be any type of container from a tote to a satchel. But if they say they got a new backpack, the mental image is clear – a bag with straps meant to be worn on the back.
Lucas
Sep 26, 2023

Bag vs. Backpack Comparison Chart

Definition

A container for holding or carrying items
A bag with straps, worn on the back
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Carrying Method

Handles, shoulder straps, wristlets, etc.
Primarily two shoulder straps
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023

Typical Uses

Shopping, fashion, storage
School, hiking, travel
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Structure

Can vary widely (totes, purses, pouches, etc.)
Generally has a consistent shape with compartments
Lucas
Sep 26, 2023

Specificity

General term
Specific type of bag
Jonathan
Sep 26, 2023

Bag vs. Backpack Definitions

Bag

A particular amount of something that is sold in a bag.
I bought a bag of chips for the party.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Backpack

A bag with shoulder straps, carried on the back.
He wore his backpack to school every day.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023

Bag

A container of flexible material, such as paper, plastic, or leather, that is used for carrying or storing items.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

To travel or hike carrying one's belongings in a backpack.
She decided to backpack across Europe for the summer.
Olivia
Sep 26, 2023

Bag

A handbag; a purse.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

A sturdy bag designed for carrying articles on a person's back, having shoulder straps and often mounted on a lightweight frame.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

A piece of hand luggage, such as a suitcase or satchel.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

A pouchlike or sagging organ or part of the body, such as a cow's udder.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

To hike or travel while carrying a backpack.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

An object that resembles a pouch.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

To carry in a backpack.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(Nautical) The sagging or bulging part of a sail.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

The amount that a bag can hold.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

A similarly placed item containing a parachute or other life-support equipment.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

An amount of game taken or legally permitted to be taken.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

(intransitive) To hike and camp overnight in backcountry with one's gear carried in a backpack.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(Baseball) A base.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

(intransitive) To engage in low-cost, generally urban, travel with minimal luggage and frugal accommodation.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(Slang) An area of interest or skill
Cooking is not my bag.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

To place or carry (an item or items) in a backpack.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(Slang) A woman considered ugly or unkempt.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

a bag carried on the back, supported by straps looped over the shoulders.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To put into a bag
bag groceries.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

to hike while carrying a backpack; - often used in the form go backpacking; as, to backpack through the forest.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To cause to bulge like a pouch.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

a bag carried by a strap on your back or shoulder
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To capture or kill as game
bagged six grouse.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

hike with a backpack;
Every summer they are backpacking in the Rockies
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To gain; acquire
He bagged a profit from the sale.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

An extended outdoor trip where one carries gear in a backpack.
We went on a three-day backpack through the mountains.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Bag

To capture or arrest
was bagged for trespassing.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

A piece of equipment designed for a specific task that's worn on the back.
The firefighter wore a backpack pump to battle the brush fire.
Leo
Sep 26, 2023

Bag

To accomplish or achieve
bagged a birdie with a long putt.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Backpack

To engage in low-cost, independent travel.
After college, he chose to backpack around Asia.
William
Sep 26, 2023

Bag

To fail to attend purposely; skip
bagged classes for the day and went to the beach.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To stop doing or considering; abandon
bagged the idea and started from scratch.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To terminate the employment of.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To pack items in a bag.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To hang loosely
The pants bag at the knees.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To swell out; bulge.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(colloquial) One's preference.
Acid House is not my bag: I prefer the more traditional styles of music.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(derogatory) An ugly woman.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

A fellow gay man.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(baseball) First, second, or third base.
He headed back to the bag.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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}.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

A pouch tied behind a man's head to hold the back-hair of a wig; a bag wig.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

The quantity of game bagged in a hunt.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

A scrotum.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(UK) A unit of measure of cement equal to 94 pounds.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

A dark circle under the eye, caused by lack of sleep, drug addiction etc.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(slang) A small envelope that contains drugs, especially narcotics.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

£1000, a grand.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(informal) A large number or amount.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(transitive) To put into a bag.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(transitive) To take with oneself, to assume into one's score
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(informal) To catch or kill, especially when fishing or hunting.
We bagged three deer yesterday.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To gain possession of something, or to make first claim on something.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(slang) To steal.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To take a woman away with one as a romantic or sexual interest.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(slang) To arrest.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

(transitive) To furnish or load with a bag.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To provide with artificial ventilation via a bag valve mask (BVM) resuscitator.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To fit with a bag to collect urine.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To expose exterior shape or physical behaviour resembling that of a bag
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To hang like an empty bag.
His trousers bag at the knees.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To drop away from the correct course.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To become pregnant.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To forget, ignore, or get rid of.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To show particular puffy emotion
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To swell with arrogance.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To laugh uncontrollably.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To criticise sarcastically.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

A sack or pouch, used for holding anything; as, a bag of meal or of money.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

A sort of silken purse formerly tied about men's hair behind, by way of ornament.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

The quantity of game bagged.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To put into a bag; as, to bag hops.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To seize, capture, or entrap; as, to bag an army; to bag game.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To furnish or load with a bag or with a well filled bag.
A bee bagged with his honeyed venom.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To swell or hang down like a full bag; as, the skin bags from containing morbid matter.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To swell with arrogance.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

To become pregnant.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

a flexible container with a single opening;
he stuffed his laundry into a large bag
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

the quantity of game taken in a particular period (usually by one person);
his bag included two deer
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

place that runner must touch before scoring;
he scrambled to get back to the bag
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

the quantity that a bag will hold;
he ate a large bag of popcorn
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

a portable rectangular traveling bag for carrying clothes;
he carried his small bag onto the plane with him
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

an ugly or ill-tempered woman;
he was romancing the old bag for her money
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

mammary gland of bovids (cows and sheep and goats)
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

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
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

capture or kill, as in hunting;
bag a few pheasants
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

hang loosely, like an empty bag
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

bulge out; form a bulge outward, or be so full as to appear to bulge
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

take unlawfully
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

put into a bag;
The supermarket clerk bagged the groceries
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Bag

A container with an opening at the top, used for carrying things.
She carried her groceries in a reusable bag.
William
Sep 26, 2023

Bag

A woman's purse or handbag.
She had a stylish leather bag on her arm.
Lucas
Sep 26, 2023

Bag

A loose, flabby part of the skin.
As he aged, he noticed bags under his eyes.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023

Bag

A base in baseball.
The runner was safe at third bag.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Bag vs. Backpack Frequently Asked Questions

Are all bags meant for carrying things?

Most bags are, but some like decorative bags or certain fashion bags might prioritize style over function.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

What's the primary function of a bag?

A bag serves as a container to hold or transport items.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

How does a backpack differ from other bags?

A backpack is designed to be worn on the back using two shoulder straps.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023

Is a backpack ideal for long durations?

Yes, backpacks distribute weight evenly, making them suitable for prolonged wear.
Leo
Sep 26, 2023

Are backpacks only for students?

No, backpacks are used by people of all ages for various purposes, including travel, work, and hiking.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

How do you classify a bag's type?

Bags can be classified based on their design, function, and the way they are carried, like handbags, totes, or clutches.
Henry
Sep 26, 2023

Can a backpack be considered a bag?

Yes, a backpack is a type of bag designed for back wear.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

What materials are backpacks typically made of?

Backpacks can be made from various materials, including nylon, polyester, leather, or canvas.
Olivia
Sep 26, 2023

Why are some bags called "shoulder bags"?

Shoulder bags come with a strap meant to be worn over one shoulder, differentiating them from backpacks.
Kaitlyn
Sep 26, 2023

Which is more spacious: a bag or a backpack?

It depends on the design, but backpacks often have multiple compartments and can carry more items, especially larger or bulkier ones.
Leo
Sep 26, 2023

Content Creators

Written by
Muneeza Rehman
At Comparisons.wiki, Muneeza skillfully navigates the vast sea of information, ensuring clarity and accuracy as the lead content editor. With a keen eye for detail, she curates every comparison to enlighten and engage readers.
Edited by
Muazma Batool
As a content editor, Muazma Batool is not just a grammar guru but a creative mastermind who breathes life into every word. With an eagle eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she transforms bland text into engaging content that captivates audiences and drives results.

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