Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who remains in a position, office, or role after the normal term has ended: An official, employee, or member who continues in their role past the expected expiration date, often temporarily.
   • A thing or practice that survives from an earlier time: An object, custom, idea, or feeling that persists as a remaining part from a past period, often when it seems outdated.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The committee included several holdovers from the previous administration. (This refers to people who remained in their roles.)
  • The law is a holdover from the colonial era and is rarely enforced. (This refers to a surviving practice or rule.)
  • His fear of flying is a holdover from a traumatic childhood experience. (This refers to a surviving feeling or attitude.)

Advanced Usage

• "a holdover from [a past time/era]": A common phrase used to describe something that has continued to exist from a specific period in the past.
  • The company's strict dress code is a holdover from the 1950s.
• In a political or organizational context: Often used to describe officials or policies retained during a transition.
  • The new CEO decided to replace all the board holdovers.

Variants and Related Words

• To hold over (phrasal verb): To postpone or delay something. (Note: This is the verb form from which the noun is derived, but it has a distinct meaning).
  • The meeting was held over until next week.
• Holdout (noun): A person or group who refuses to agree or accept something. While related in the sense of "remaining," a holdout implies active resistance, unlike a holdover which implies simple continuation.

Synonyms

• Remnant: A small remaining quantity of something.
• Survival: Something that has continued to exist from an earlier time.
• Legacy: Something handed down from a predecessor.
• Incumbent (specific to the "person" sense): The current holder of an office or post.

Related Phrases

• Carryover: Often used interchangeably in some contexts, especially for practices or items, but "carryover" is more common in accounting or quantitative contexts (e.g., funds from one year to the next).
• Leftover: Primarily refers to remaining food or material goods, not typically to people or abstract practices.

Idioms and Common Collocations

• Political holdover: A standard collocation for an official from a previous government.
  • The ambassador was a political holdover, awaiting confirmation of her replacement.
• Cultural holdover: A standard collocation for a surviving tradition or custom.
  • The festival is a cultural holdover from ancient harvest celebrations.

Noun

1. something that has survived from the past
   • a holdover from the sixties
   • hangovers from the 19th century
2. an official who remains in office after his term