keeping

1 of 2

noun

keep·​ing ˈkē-piŋ 

1

: conformity

in keeping with good taste

out of keeping with the decor

2

: the act of one that keeps: such as

a

: custody, maintenance

b

: observance

c

: a reserving or preserving for future use

3

a

: the means by which something is kept : support, provision

b

: the state of being kept or the condition in which something is kept

the house is in good keeping

keeping

2 of 2

present participle of keep entry 1

Synonyms of keeping

Noun

• custody
• care

Examples of keeping in a Sentence

Noun

put the house keys into a neighbor's secure keeping while they were on vacation

my aunt has all of our family's old photographs in her keeping

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This is needed for things like orbit corrections, station-keeping, attitude control, and collision avoidance. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026

For safe-keeping, the flag is displayed in very low light, giving the chamber a sacred feel, like a cathedral crypt. — Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2026

Below, members of Forbes Technology Council identify workloads companies may want to reconsider moving—or keeping—in the public cloud and explain why another environment may sometimes make more sense. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Though 2026 has been the 15th driest year in Central Florida since record-keeping began over a century ago, regular and sometimes heavy afternoon downpours this month have provided good conditions for Aedes aegypti. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing keeping

• how are you keeping
• in keeping with
• in someone's keeping
• keeping a watching brief
• keeping company with the likes of
• keeping room
• keeping the peace
• out of keeping with
• record-keeping
• standing/keeping guard
• what is keeping someone

Rhymes for keeping

• beeping
• creeping
• heaping
• leaping
• peeping
• reaping
• seeping
• sleeping
• steeping
• sweeping
• weeping
• beekeeping

Kids Definition

keeping

noun

keep·​ing

ˈkē-piŋ

1

: watchful attention : care

2

: a proper or fitting relationship : harmony

in keeping with good taste