keeping

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

Synonyms of keeping

• custody
• care

Examples of keeping in a Sentence

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

And while the potential for a new Federal Reserve rate cut looks low currently, HELOCs continually fell this year, even with the Fed keeping rates paused, as rates are driven by multiple factors. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026

The role involved overseas travel with the former Duke of York and meticulous record-keeping. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026

The withdrawal order, the account type, the timing of life changes, the record-keeping on charitable gifts — each one is a small lever. —Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026

In a final order signed by the FTC on Friday, defendants Match Group and OkCupid operator Humor Rainbow will agree not to make any more misrepresentations about its privacy policy and be subject to compliance reporting, record-keeping and monitoring for 10 years. —Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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