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general::
1. Interest charged on the balance owed when paying on an installment plan, as in What is the carrying charge for this credit card? The term denotes the amount charged for carrying the remaining debt. [Late 1800s] 2. The cost incurred when an asset is unproductive, as when aircraft are grounded during a strike, real estate cannot be developed owing to zoning laws, or similar circumstances. For example, The carrying charge for owning this building may send us into bankruptcy.
American Heritage Idioms