open carry

noun

: 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 Wisconsin allows open carry of guns, and state statute allows for concealed carry with a permit, both of which would be allowed in the security footprint, city officials said. —

Tristan Hernandez, Journal Sentinel, 7 June 2024 How about the people who can address this ever-increasing horror pass some legislation to have background checks, not allow open carry and ban ownership of AR-15s and high-capacity magazines? —

Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2024 Oliver was charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor and one count each of first-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace, permitting a dog to roam and open carry on public property. —

Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024 The state allows open carry and concealed carry for firearms including handguns and rifles. —

Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 25 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for open carry

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