open carry

noun

US

: 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

Examples of open carry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The District’s strong gun laws, including its bans on semi-automatic weapons and open carry, likely stopped some rioters from arming themselves and inflicting mass casualties. —Douglas Letter, Time, 6 Jan. 2026

The judges found that the state's policy of limiting open carry to counties with a population of less than 200,000 is inconsistent with the Second Amendment. —CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026

The city also recently banned open carry for people under the age of 19. —Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025

While Florida allows open carry, Rollins College bans all weapons on campus. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for open carry

• intermarry
• denarii
• miscarry
• harri
• marey
• scarry