holdover

1 of 2

noun

hold·​over ˈhōld-ˌō-vər How to pronounce holdover (audio)
: one that is held over

hold over

2 of 2

verb

held over; holding over; holds over

intransitive verb

: to continue (as in office) for a prolonged period

transitive verb

1
b
: to retain in a condition or position from an earlier period
2
: to prolong the engagement of
the film was held over another week

Examples of holdover in a Sentence

Noun He is the only holdover from their last championship team. This policy is a holdover from the previous administration. Verb the golf tournament had to be held over until the line of thunderstorms had passed through
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Overall, while Labor Day weekend can be hard, this was actually a great showing for indies in limited/moderate release and up against a glut of studio wide releases, holdovers and new. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2024 All six holdovers in the top 10 dropped under 50 percent, continuing a positive trend. Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire, 22 Sep. 2024
Verb
Biden’s advantage was almost half again the 50-point lead that Hillary Clinton held over Trump in 2016, suggesting a longer-term trend that shows Latinos in the Democratic camp but in diminishing numbers. Steve Liesman, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2024 The 29th Busan International Film Festival will be held over ten days from Oct. 2-11 at the Busan Cinema Center. Patrick Frater, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for holdover 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'holdover.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1893, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1647, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of holdover was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near holdover

Cite this Entry

“Holdover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holdover. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hold over

verb
: to continue beyond a normal or planned time
the movie was held over for three weeks
holdover
ˈhōl-ˌdō-vər
noun

Legal Definition

hold over

intransitive verb
: to remain in a position or condition
one who holds over in possession of a building after the expiration of a term of yearsB. N. Cardozo
holdover noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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