concealed carry

¹ American  

[kuhn-seeld kar-ee] / kənˈsild ˈkær i /

noun

1. the practice of carrying a concealed gun or other weapon in public.

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concealed-carry ² American  

[kuhn-seeld-kar-ee] / kənˈsildˈkær i /

verb (used with or without object)

concealed-carried, concealed-carrying

1. to carry a concealed gun or other weapon in public.

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Etymology

Origin of concealed carry¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Origin of concealed-carry²

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

The Hawaii law requires a gun owner with a concealed carry permit to get the explicit permission of a private property owner before bringing a firearm into their establishment.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

But some stores the brief mentions—such as Walmart, Walgreens and Kroger—reference open, not concealed, carry in their store policies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

The department’s statement said it had approved 15,000 applications for concealed carry licenses but that because of “a significant staffing crisis in our CCW Unit” it was “diligenty working through approximately 4,000 active cases.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

Within days, the sheriff in Minnesota’s most populous county, home to Minneapolis, opened concealed carry permit applications to 18-year-olds.

From Slate • Jun. 4, 2025

In the 2013 push for concealed carry reciprocity, the bill failed 57 to 43 in the Senate, with 44 Republicans and 13 Democrats voting in favor of the legislation.

From Salon • May 21, 2025