carry-on
adjective
of a size and shape suitable for being carried onto and stowed in the passenger compartment of an airplane.
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carryon.
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:
She placed the frozen goods in her carry-on, thinking she was under the limit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Part of the defensiveness, no doubt, is about Rupar’s undoubted ability to make images of the enormous carry-on bag that Harp hauls around go viral.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
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
I was trying to talk to Link, but 1 couldn’t because I was getting bannered so hard, and I kept blinking and trying to walk forward with my carry-on.
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
"I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football," said Wiegman.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Tesla jumps after the EV maker unveils its new Roadster sports car, but CoreWeave slides as AI jitters carry on spooking the market.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
I’ve seen Tanden get into a headline-making spat with progressive blogger Matt Bruenig; I’ve even watched her carry on a one-sided vendetta against Susan Sarandon.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Which, of course, Jaguars kicker Cam Little attempted, and made, sending the Eagles back home across the Atlantic with a shocking 19-17 loss and a carry on of gloomy vibes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
‘I’m Willem,’ I say to them after Hannie’s given them the instructions she gave me, and they fall into step as we carry on weaving through the city like spies.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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
Spirit offered uber-low, unbundled fares, charging more for carry-ons and picking a seat in advance of boarding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 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
As the flight attendants wandered the aisles collecting all the tiny plastic bottles of alcohol, the women on the flight started pulling headscarves out of their carry-ons and covering their hair.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
