A holdoverA person or thing that continues from an earlier period. is something or someone that remainsContinues to be present or alive from before. from an earlier time. It can describe a person who stays in officeA public position or job with official duties. after a term ends, or a thing that continues to exist from the past.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈhoʊldˌoʊvər/
Easy pronunciation: HOLD-oh-ver (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress on the first syllable, with secondary stress on the third syllable.
Noun meaning something that has survived from the past.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Holdover Meaning
something left over from an earlier time
Part of speech: noun
Definition: something that has survived from the past
Example: That custom is a holdover from the sixties.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- hangover — Works only in the sense of a lingering result or remnant from the past; it is less common and can sound figurative.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Holdover
Meaning 2
a person who stays in office after the term should have ended
Part of speech: noun
Definition: an official who remains in office after his term
Example: The senator was a holdover from the previous administration.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- hangover — Not a natural everyday substitute for a person; it is only loosely related and usually refers to a leftover effect rather than an officeholder.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse holdover with hangover. They are related in form, but hangover usually means the aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol, not a person or remnant from the past.
- Holdover is usually a noun.
- The meaning changes depending on whether it refers to a person in office or something surviving from the past.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does holdover mean?
Holdover usually means something that remains from an earlier time. It can also mean an official who stays in office after the term has ended.
Is holdover the same as hangover?
No. Hangover is a separate word. In dictionary data, it can appear as a historical or figurative synonym, but it is not a normal substitute in most modern usage.
What is a holdover from the past?
It is something that has continued to exist even though it belongs to an earlier period.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
