carriage

noun

car·​riage ˈker-ij How to pronounce carriage (audio)
ˈka-rij
plural carriages
1
a
: a wheeled vehicle
especially : a horse-drawn vehicle designed for private use and comfort
b
British : a railway passenger coach
2
: a wheeled support carrying a burden
3
a
: manner of bearing the body : posture
that slender unrigid erectness and the fine carriage of headWilla Cather
b
archaic : deportment
4
: the act of carrying
5
: a movable part of a machine for supporting some other movable object or part
a typewriter carriage
6
chiefly British : the price or expense of carrying
7
medical : the condition of harboring a pathogen within the body
Clinical manifestations of enterovirus infections are protean, ranging from asymptomatic carriage to life-threatening illness.Journal of the American Medical Association
Hospitals commonly screen patients in the ICU for nasal carriage of MRSA and use contact precautions with carriers.Susan S. Huang et al.
8
archaic : management
9
obsolete : burden, load
10
obsolete : import, sense
11
obsolete : a hanger for a sword
Choose the Right Synonym for carriage

bearing, deportment, demeanor, mien, manner, carriage mean the outward manifestation of personality or attitude.

bearing is the most general of these words but now usually implies characteristic posture.

a woman of regal bearing

deportment suggests actions or behavior as formed by breeding or training.

your deportment was atrocious

demeanor suggests one's attitude toward others as expressed in outward behavior.

the haughty demeanor of the headwaiter

mien is a literary term referring both to bearing and demeanor.

a mien of supreme self-satisfaction

manner implies characteristic or customary way of moving and gesturing and addressing others.

the imperious manner of a man used to giving orders

carriage applies chiefly to habitual posture in standing or walking.

the kind of carriage learned at boarding school

Examples of carriage in a Sentence

They rode to the city in carriages. I took the baby to the park in the carriage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Controlling and setting the movement is a simple matter: While the crown controls the minutes on both dials as well as the hours on the front dial, the hours on the secondary time zone are adjusted via an unobtrusive slider revealed when the case is disengaged from its carriage. Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2025 Horse and carriage and pony rides are also offered on weekends. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 31 Mar. 2025 The 27-year-old unnamed American man was traveling in the empty carriage of a train from neighbouring Lithuania when he was found by custom officers at Maladzyechna train station, Belarus’ customs authority said in a statement on Monday. Victoria Butenko, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025 Sunbeam does not need to strike new carriage deals with every other local provider – such as Xfinity, Breezeline (formerly Atlantic Broadband) and YouTube TV - to add ABC Miami because that’s automatically covered in cable/satellite provider contracts to carry WSVN-7. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for carriage

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cariage, carrage "act of transporting, conveyances collectively, vehicle, burden, baggage," borrowed from Anglo-French "transporting, means of transport, baggage train," from carier, charier "to transport, carry entry 1" + -age -age

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of carriage was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carriage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carriage. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

carriage

noun
car·​riage ˈkar-ij How to pronounce carriage (audio)
1
: the act of carrying
2
: manner of holding the body : posture
3
: a horse-drawn wheeled vehicle designed for carrying persons
4
: a wheeled support carrying a load
gun carriage
5
: a movable part of a machine for supporting some other movable object or part
a typewriter carriage

Medical Definition

carriage

noun
car·​riage ˈkar-ij How to pronounce carriage (audio)
: the condition of harboring a pathogen within the body
immunization against hepatitis B reduced the rate of HBV carriage
asymptomatic carriage of the pneumococcus in the nasopharynx

More from Merriam-Webster on carriage

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