Shipping
The practice of supporting, discussing, or creating content about a desired romantic pairing.
“The fandom started shipping them after one scene together.”
Shipping can involve theories, edits, fan art, fanfiction, debates, and hopes that a pairing becomes canon.
The term derives from relationship and was established in online fandom by the 1990s before spreading across social media.
shipper
A fan who supports a particular pairing.
shipping war
Conflict between supporters of competing pairings.
multishipping
Supporting multiple pairings involving the same characters.
What is a shipping war?
It is an argument between groups who support different pairings.
Is shipping only fictional?
It began largely in fandom but is also applied to celebrities and people online.