Definition

1. Noun:
   • The accumulated and undivided profits of a corporation after provision has been made for dividends and reserves: In accounting and finance, this refers to earnings that a company retains rather than distributes as dividends.
   • Application of a skill learned in one situation to a different but similar situation: In psychology and learning theory, this refers to the transfer of knowledge or a skill from one context to another.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Finance/Accounting):

  • The company's strong carry-over from last year allowed it to fund the new project without seeking external loans.
  • The financial statement shows a significant carry-over, which will be reinvested into research and development.

• Noun (Psychology/Learning):

  • Learning to play the piano can have a positive carry-over to typing skills, as both require fine motor coordination.
  • The manager hoped the teamwork skills from the workshop would have a carry-over effect to daily office interactions.

Advanced Usage

• "Tax carry-over": Often used to refer to tax losses or credits that can be applied to future tax years.

  • The business utilized its net operating loss carry-over to reduce its tax liability this year.

• "Carry-over effect": A common phrase in research and experiments describing how an effect from one condition persists and influences a subsequent condition.

  • The study accounted for the carry-over effect from the first phase of the drug trial.

Variants and Related Words

• Carryforward (n): A variant, especially in accounting, meaning an amount to be transferred to a future period.

  • The unused budget was listed as a carryforward to the next fiscal year.

• Transfer (n/v): A more general synonym for the movement or application of something from one place, person, or context to another.

Synonyms

• Accumulation (for the financial sense): A build-up or gathering of something.
• Transfer (for the learning sense): The act of moving something from one place or application to another.
• Retained earnings (specific financial synonym): Profits kept by the company.

Related Phrases

• Carry over (phrasal verb): To transfer or extend from one time or situation to another.
  • We will carry over the remaining balance to your next invoice.
  • His enthusiasm from the victory carried over into the next week's training.

Related Idioms

• "Carry over from": To originate in or be influenced by a past situation.
  • His distrust of authority figures carries over from his childhood experiences.

Noun

1. the accumulated and undivided profits of a corporation after provision has been made for dividends and reserves
2. application of a skill learned in one situation to a different but similar situation