First recorded in 1980–85
First recorded in 1985–90; open ( def. ) + carry ( def. )
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although disclaiming any such intent, the federal court here required a “historical twin” — that is, previous legislation that banned open carry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026
Police and licensed security guards are exempt from the temporary ban on concealed or open carry of firearms.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 10, 2023
Instead, lawmakers relaxed regulations, including allowing the open carry of handguns without a license or training.
From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2023
Lara said the proposal doesn’t interfere with private firearms training or New Mexico’s relatively permissive gun laws that allow both open carry of firearms and concealed handguns with permit and training requirements.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2023
"De cellar door is open, carry it all in and put it in de back part and nobody ain't never going to know how long it has been in dar."
From The Lock and Key Library The most interesting stories of all nations: American by Hawthorne, Julian
The case resulted from a challenge brought by Siskiyou County resident Mark Baird, who contested both the state’s open-carry ban and the licensing requirements for open-carry permits in rural counties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2026
Even this fanatical open-carry gun website implores: “Don’t chase criminals.”
From Slate ● Jun. 21, 2022
At the time, California was an open-carry state with few gun restrictions.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2022
Wisconsin is an open-carry state, meaning that people can carry legal firearms in public without a permit, unless they are otherwise prohibited from possessing them.
From New York Times ● Oct. 28, 2021
He began allowing his staff to open-carry firearms around the office and started wearing a badge, even though he did not work in law enforcement.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2021
Similarly, the Senate ought to be able to consider preventing open-carried guns at government events without proceedings devolving.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 24, 2022
At a July 2020 Black Lives Matter protest, held in Austin on behalf of George Floyd, some protesters who'd already faced death threats were legally open-carrying guns.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2023
“But if it must be — and if you don’t feel comfortable, you know, I don’t know, open-carrying — ”
From New York Times ● Oct. 26, 2021
“If you are open-carrying, de-escalation is more challenging because at that point you are also a threat to anyone that you come up to,” Markinson said.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 16, 2020
“I probably have seen one person open-carrying this year,” he said.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 6, 2019
Last week, several shoppers came across another customer open-carrying at the same Whole Foods while he picked out asparagus.
From Slate ● Jan. 21, 2016
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.
