open carry

noun

|Updated on: 7 Jun 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

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
And just last week, Stephon Clark was shot 20 times and killed for the only-for-black-people offense of open carrying a wallet.

— kashana cauley, The New Republic, "A Culture of Violent White Guys," 29 Mar. 2018
Instead, in that same period, Steube introduced or cointroduced many pro-gun bills that sought to ease background checks, allow for more open carry, and otherwise expand gun owners’ rights.

— ashley belanger, Teen Vogue, "Marco Rubio and Other Florida Legislators Respond to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting," 16 Feb. 2018
In their ongoing effort to limit local government, Missouri state lawmakers also want to keep municipalities from regulating open carry.

— the kansas city star editorial board, kansascity, "After Florida school shooting, Missouri lawmakers want to make gun laws even worse | The Kansas City Star," 4 Mar. 2018
But what about individuals choosing to open carry in jurisdictions and circumstances where that behavior is permitted, and who claim to be merely exercising their First Amendment rights?

— olivia li, Slate Magazine, "Can You Bring a Gun to a Protest?," 17 Oct. 2017

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.