that which is carried over, postponed, or extended to a later time, account, etc.
Bookkeeping. the total of one page of an account carried forward to the next.
to postpone or defer
accounting tax accounting another term for carry forward
(on the London Stock Exchange) to postpone (payment or settlement) until the next account day
something left over for future use, esp goods to be sold
accounting a sum or balance carried forward
another name for contango
tax accounting another name for carry-forward See carry forward
See carry forward , def. 1.
To keep something, usually merchandise, for a subsequent period. For example, We'll carry over this summer's bathing suits for next winter's resort season .
Persist from one time or situation to another, as in His leadership in sports carried over to the classroom . [Late 1800s]
First recorded in 1735–45; noun use of verb phrase carry over
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Colbert often goofed on his public image with mock outrage over perceived offenses, a carry-over from his long-running shtick on “The Colbert Report.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Commons Leader Sir Alan Campbell had earlier told MPs that the Bill would be subject to a carry-over motion on Monday.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
What you’re seeing at the start of the season is a carry-over from how they finished the season.”
From Seattle Times ● May 20, 2024
"The increase registered in the CPI during August will generate a carry-over effect," said Eugenio Mari, Chief Economist at the Libertad y Progreso Foundation.
From Reuters ● Sep. 11, 2023
We said all this in my kitchen, drinking coffee, sitting at my kitchen table, in those low, intense voices we used for such arguments when we were in our early twenties; a carry-over from college.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
U.S. stocks hit some turbulence in June, and that seemed to carry over into early July, as a powerful momentum trade centered on semiconductor stocks hit a speed bump.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
So, people who take time to write reviews on the weekend seem to feel more socially isolated, and their negative feelings carry over to what they say about products, services or companies, the researchers say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
“We have another game in two days, then the next four or five games are definitely winnable, so carry over the positives from this game.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
Newsbeat asks Louden if having a lead actor who is well-known and respected among players championing Saros will carry over with audiences.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
Mary took some flat bread and cheese and some sweet, thirst-quenching red fruits, wrapped them in a cloth, and tied a cord around it for one of them to carry over a shoulder.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
