card-carrying

[kahrd-kar-ee-ing] /ˈkɑrdˌkær i ɪŋ/

adjective

admittedly belonging to a group or party:

a card-carrying Communist.

Often Facetious. dedicated to an ideal, profession, or interest:

a card-carrying humanist.

Origin

1945-50

Examples from the web for card-carrying

Both portray universally accepted, card-carrying geniuses in moments of offstage intimacy.
Five years ago, only card-carrying party members could vote.
They axed him as their treasurer, but he remains a card-carrying member of the party.
Jobs was a card-carrying member of a generation that celebrated a hippie counterculture.
But this year corporate card-carrying spendthrifts had better be careful.
My career as a professional, card-carrying physicist has spanned the golden years.

British Dictionary definitions for card-carrying

card-carrying

adjective

being an official member of a specified organization: a card-carrying union member, a card-carrying Communist

Word Origin and History for card-carrying

adj.

1948, used frequently during Cold War in U.S. (typically in reference to official membership in the communist party), from card (n.1) + present participle of carry (v.).

Slang definitions & phrases for card-carrying

card-carrying

adjective

Authentic; genuine and longstanding: These women tend not to be card-carrying feminists/a service for all us card-carrying optimists

[1960s+; fr the carrying of a membership card in an organization; first used of Communists during the 1950s period of political inquisition]