carry-on
adjective
of a size and shape suitable for being carried onto and stowed in the passenger compartment of an airplane.
carry-on
American
[kar-ee-on, -awn]
/ ˈkær iˌɒn, -ˌɔn /
adjective
noun
-
carry-ons
plural
carry on
British
verb
-
(intr) to continue or persevere
we must carry on in spite of our difficulties
-
(tr) to manage or conduct
to carry on a business
-
informal to have an affair
-
informal (intr) to cause a fuss or commotion
noun
adjective
carry on
Idioms
-
Maintain, conduct, as in The villagers carried on a thriving trade , or They carried on a torrid love affair . [c. 1600]
-
Continue or progress, persevere, as in I'm sure you can carry on without me . [Mid-1600s]
-
Behave in an excited, improper, or silly manner, as in They laughed and sang and carried on rather noisily . [Early 1800s]
-
Flirt, engage in an illicit love affair, as in She accused her friend of carrying on with her husband . [Early 1900s]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of carry-on
First recorded in 1950–55; adj., noun use of verb phrase carry on
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Lithium batteries must be stowed in carry-on baggage only, the US regulator says.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Some are offsetting costs by avoiding baggage fees, with 21% of respondents saying they switched to airlines that include baggage in fares and 29% opting to only bring a carry-on to avoid bag fees.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Also worth noting: United has increased the fee it charges if you bring that forbidden carry-on bag to the gate if you don’t have status or certain United credit cards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
A Transportation Security Administration spokesperson did not answer specific questions about PS and would say only that the agency “screens all checked and carry-on baggage on commercial flights departing from LAX.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
He had offered to help her with her carry-on bag and, later, had asked the flight attendant if he could take the seat next to hers since it was vacant.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Its momentum could carry on for years, as U.S. manufacturing activity and data-center construction continue to accelerate.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
"It was fantastic - I could carry on going to college, going out with my friends. The seizures stopped," she told BBC News NI.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
That includes paying the balance of the school’s lease to the district and supporting local groups to carry on some services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
"I need fall in love, you know? I need to meet my one true love. So I have to carry on until that happens."
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
She whispered a soft, musical phrase and the raft shrank down to a size she could carry on her back.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Ryanair has done this by posting extremely low base fares and charging for everything it can—including checked bags, all but the smallest carry-ons, seat selection, and food and drinks.
From Barron's ● May 8, 2026
Four globe-trotting corporate bosses spoke to WSJ about their hacks for beating jet lag, which range from packing carry-ons to planning post-flight workouts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026
It’s probably just a matter of time until the other big players strip out carry-ons, as United has already done.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2025
It’s watching what people have tucked into their carry-ons: the foods that reveal where they’ve been or where they’re going.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2024
He eyed the passengers moving down the aisle with mild disinterest, but only to make sure they didn’t hit his shoulder with their purses and carry-ons as they passed.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
