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

Without proper record keeping from a company (which may also have seen tariff rates on their product change over the course of the year), the process of applying for refunds may also become more challenging. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026

The latest on the Maxx Crosby situation As a handful of teams come in and out of the mix, the Cowboys have been the one constant keeping tabs on the situation. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026

Despite those points, 2025 still ended up as the third-hottest year in over 175 years of record-keeping and likely one of the warmest in at least several thousand years. —Michael Wysession, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026

The number of House retirements this cycle is the second-highest since record-keeping began nearly a century ago. —Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 5 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