open carry

noun

|Updated on: 19 Jul 2018

Definition of open carry

: the act or practice of carrying a firearm openly in public or the legal right to do so

In Pennsylvania, open carry is generally allowed without a license, but Philadelphia does require a license.
—Joshua Gillin

The next frontier for gun-rights advocates is "open carry," epitomized last year by protests in which permitted gun owners carried firearms in plain view at Starbucks coffee shops.
—Patrik Jonsson

Three more states ban concealed carry but not open carry.
—Hank Johnson and Mitch Seabaugh

—often used before another noun

open carry laws/legislation

— compare concealed carry

Recent Examples of open carry from the Web

Florida does not allow the open carry of weapons, but more than 1.9 million have permits to carry guns and weapons in public if they are concealed.

— CBS News, "Report reveals Florida stopped doing gun permit checks for more than a year," 9 June 2018
Florida does not allow the open carry of weapons, but more than 1.9 million have permits to carry guns and weapons in public if they are concealed.

— Washington Post, "Florida stopped doing gun permit checks for more than a year," 8 June 2018
The stunt spurred the California legislature to ban open carry of firearms.

— elliott woods, The New Republic, "Essential reporting, interpretation, and opinion on politics and culture. Don't miss our latest.," 16 Apr. 2018
Florida does not allow the open carry of weapons, but more than 1.9 million people have permits to carry guns and weapons in public if they are concealed.

— gary fineout, BostonGlobe.com, "Florida failed to do gun permit checks for more than a year," 9 June 2018
Bennett, 22, from Zanesville, Ohio, helped lead an open carry demonstration on campus in April but didn't carry a weapon because of the school's policy, the Akron Beacon-Journal reported.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "'Come and take it,' Kent State grad says while posing with AR-10 rifle | The Kansas City Star," 16 May 2018
Crawford, holding a BB gun—sold at Walmart—in the open carry state of Ohio, was shot and killed by police.

— jason johnson, The Root, "From Starbucks to Hashtags: We Need to Talk About Why White Americans Call the Police on Black People," 16 Apr. 2018
Lawyers for gun owners urged the Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday to stop schools from banning the open carry of guns by visitors, a controversy that will test the ability of school boards to set their own safety policies.

— Washington Post, "Gun owners urge Michigan court: Stop school gun restrictions," 11 Apr. 2018
Lawyers for gun owners urged the Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday to stop schools from banning the open carry of guns by visitors, a controversy that will test the ability of school boards to set their own safety policies.

— ed white, Detroit Free Press, "School gun restrictions challenged in Michigan Supreme Court," 11 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'open carry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.