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
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.
Noun
Bitter about the assignment at first, Paul ends up bonding with the school's sole holdover, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), and a grieving cook, Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who become a makeshift family that celebrates the holidays together. Tim Lammers, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 Half of 2024’s top 10 albums are holdovers from 2023’s year-end top 10, including one that’s been among the year-end top 10 for four years straight: Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album, which was released in 2021. Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
Independent watchmakers did well in the auction held over two days on December 7 and 8 at Phillips New York saleroom. Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024 Apocalypse in the Tropics investigates the increasingly powerful grip that evangelical Christian leaders hold over politics in Brazil. Brian Welk, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for holdover 

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 21 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!