holder

noun

hold·​er ˈhōl-dər 

1

: a person that holds: such as

a(1)

: owner

(2)

: tenant

b

: a person in possession of and legally entitled to receive payment of a bill, note, or check

2

: a device that holds

a cigarette holder

Synonyms

• owner
• proprietor

Examples of holder in a Sentence

She is the holder of an honorary degree.

the holder of a world record

Recent Examples on the Web

Passport Holder Keep your passport easily accessible for hotel check-in with a passport holder that includes space for other essentials like boarding passes, credit cards, ID cards, and more. —Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025

From here, baking in the heat, general admission fans can watch elite guests queue for private hot laps, while VIP ticket holders dine at exclusive cantinas and hospitality areas. —Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Green card holders like Gomez have been caught up in the deportation effort, too, including Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was incarcerated by ICE for months. —Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025

In addition to delightful dish after delightful dish, tasting menu participants have the joyful experience of choosing their own chopstick holder and steak knife. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing holder

• co-holder
• holder in due course
• pot holder
• record holder
• slave holder

Rhymes for holder

• bolder
• bowlder
• colder
• folder
• golder
• molder
• moulder
• older
• polder
• shoulder
• beholder
• bondholder

Kids Definition

holder

noun

hold·​er ˈhōl-dər 

1

: a person that holds

especially : a legal owner

2

: a device that holds

Legal Definition

holder

noun

hold·​er

1

: a person that holds: as

a

: owner

the holder of a patent

—often used in combination

a stockholder

b

: one that holds or occupies the property of another by agreement and especially under a lease

2

a

: a person who under the Uniform Commercial Code is in possession of a negotiable instrument that names and is made payable to the possessor or that is payable to bearer

b

: a person under the Uniform Commercial Code in possession of goods named in a document of title if the goods are deliverable to bearer or to the order of the possessor

3

in the civil law of Louisiana : an individual (as a trustee or debtor) or legal or commercial entity that under the Civil Code's provisions for disposition of unclaimed property is in possession of property belonging to another