holdover

American  

[hohld-oh-ver] / ˈhoʊldˌoʊ vər /

noun

1. a person or thing remaining from a former period.

2. Printing. overset that can be kept for future use.

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Etymology

Origin of holdover

1885–1890, noun use of verb phrase hold over

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Explanation

A holdover is something that has stuck around for a long time. A law that forbids women from wearing patent leather shoes in public is a holdover from a very different era. The noun holdover comes up often in politics. A member of a former president's cabinet who keeps her job even after a new president is elected may be referred to as a holdover from the previous administration. A gym teacher's habit of barking out instructions to his elementary school students might be a holdover from his army days.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

holdover

In that case, you will likely find yourself traveling to or from the concourse on a wretched holdover of mid-century transportation design: the people mover.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

In that case, you will likely find yourself traveling to or from the concourse on a wretched holdover of midcentury transportation design: the people mover.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

The haul for “Minions & Monsters,” coupled with the strong holdover performance of “Toy Story 5,” proved again that family films are making a dent in the summer box office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

Land power is a vital part—not as a legacy holdover, but as a hedge against uncertainty and a foundation for political effect.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026

Descartes was a late holdover, a victim of his success in marrying algebra to geometry.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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