card-carrying

adjective

card-car·​ry·​ing ˈkärd-ˌker-ē-iŋ How to pronounce card-carrying (audio)
-ˌka-rē-iŋ
1
: being a full-fledged member of an organization (such as a Communist party)
2
a
: strongly identified with a group (as of people with a common interest)
card-carrying members of the ecology movementR. J. Neuhaus
b
: being such emphatically or unmistakably
a card-carrying hippie

Word History

Etymology

from the assumption that such a person carries an identification card

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of card-carrying was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near card-carrying

Cite this Entry

“Card-carrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/card-carrying. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!