holding

1 of 2

noun

hold·​ing ˈhōl-diŋ How to pronounce holding (audio)
1
a
: land held especially by a vassal or tenant
b
: property (such as land or securities) owned
usually used in plural
2
: a ruling of a court especially on an issue of law raised in a case compare dictum
3
: something that holds

holding

2 of 2

adjective

1
: having the effect of holding back or delaying something
the [war] represented a holding action against the spread of world CommunismSidney Offit
2
: intended for usually temporary storage or retention
a holding tank

Examples of holding in a Sentence

Noun penalized 10 yards for holding the holding of “not guilty” took everyone by surprise Adjective The troops were engaged in a holding action until reinforcements could arrive.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Officials want to pare those holdings back to more normal levels to avoid playing such a big role in financial markets. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 His mother was part of a family whose holdings had included shipbuilding operations. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 Smaller, regional institutions’ balance sheets are suffering from their commercial real estate holdings and unrealized losses. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 Warner isn’t the only media company that has sought to bolster its cable holdings with additional sports content. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Freitag, appointed in 2019, was tasked with unraveling the complex web of Champion-Cain’s legitimate business operations and real estate holdings. Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024 Accounting for another 45% of the portfolio are the next 10 largest holdings—which include iconic companies like Bank Of America, American Express, Coca-Cola, Chevron CVX +0.5%, Occidental Petroleum, and Kraft Heinz. John Dobosz, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Volvo’s holding is now expected to shrink to just 18% in the end, according to Ingenlath, from 48% previously. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune Europe, 29 Feb. 2024 But its sports holdings are smaller than those held by rivals such as Disney or Fox, and the company lacks any ties to the National Football League, whose games have become pivotal to the economic underpinnings of many media companies. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Bryce Callahan was flagged for a non-holding call that nullified a pick and led to K.C.’s first score. Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2022 There were seven offensive penalties, most holding or false starts. oregonlive, 6 Sep. 2022 Like the non-holding call against TCU on the Frogs’ first touchdown drive. Kirk Bohls, USA TODAY, 4 Oct. 2020 It was established in 1997 to meet the needs of parents in the community, focusing on activities for parents of children birth to 3 years old and holding interactive sessions each month for families, according to the schools website. Charlie Lapastora, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2018 Here’s how holding office affects Florida lawmakers’ incomes But surprisingly, Florida lawmakers did not boost their incomes while in office. Kevin Fahey, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2017 Please explain how holding secret meetings on the health care bill relates to consent of the governed. Mary Schmich, chicagotribune.com, 27 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'holding.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of holding was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near holding

Cite this Entry

“Holding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holding. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

holding

noun
hold·​ing
ˈhōl-diŋ
1
: property (as land or stocks) owned
usually used in plural
decided to sell her holdings
2
: a ruling of a court

Legal Definition

holding

1 of 2 noun
hold·​ing
1
: a ruling of a court upon an issue of law raised in a case : the pronouncement of law supported by the reasoning in a court's opinion compare decision, dictum, disposition, finding, judgment, opinion, ruling, verdict
2
: any property that is owned or possessed
usually used in pl.
an increase in the company's holdings

holding

2 of 2 adjective
: intended for temporary custody or detention
a holding facility
a holding cell

More from Merriam-Webster on holding

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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