beholden

adjective

be·hold·en | \ bi-ˈhōl-dən

, bē-\

Definition of beholden

: being under obligation for a favor or gift : indebted I'm beholden to you

Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about beholden

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Synonyms for beholden

Synonyms

bounden [archaic], indebted, obligated, obliged

Did You Know?

Have you ever found yourself under obligation to someone else for a gift or favor? It's a common experience, and, not surprisingly, many of the words describing this condition have been part of the English language for centuries. "Beholden" was first recorded in writing in the 14th century, in the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." "Indebted," which entered English through Anglo-French, is even older, first appearing in the 13th century. English speakers in the 14th century would also have had another synonym of "beholden" to choose from, a now-obsolete sense of "bounden," which today means "made obligatory" or "binding."

Examples of beholden in a Sentence

not wanting to be beholden to anyone, he insisted on paying his own way

Recent Examples on the Web

The driving goal behind the foundation is to start a development that would not be beholden to a particular country or billionaire. — Los Angeles Times, "Silicon Valley’s tech heavyweights want to settle the moon," 6 Sep. 2019 For its entire existence, the American sitcom was anti-cinematic, beholden to the demands of advertisers. — Wesley Morris, New York Times, "‘Friends’ Is Turning 25. Here’s Why We Can’t Stop Watching it.," 5 Sep. 2019 The British glam rock band The Struts have been around for decades but are beholden to much older bands, like Queen and Def Leppard and The Smiths. — Christopher Arnott, courant.com, "Best bets for arts and entertainment in September," 13 Aug. 2019 So basically the Mexican restaurant industry is beholden to flying rodents working the midnight shift. — Steve Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Talking about the bats and the bees: Pollination is a theme this summer at Chicago Botanic Garden," 23 July 2019 By casting him as beholden to big corporations and too cozy with President Trump and other Republicans, however, Cisneros hopes to stage the most formidable primary challenge Cuellar has ever faced. — Camilo Montoya-galvez, CBS News, "Texas congressman's former intern challenges him in Democratic primary," 20 June 2019 His attack on Germany as beholden to Russia, because of a pipeline project, was in keeping with Trump’s practice of accusing others of behavior he has been accused of. — Eli Stokols, latimes.com, "Trump disrupts NATO summit with blasts at allies, especially Germany, and new defense spending demands," 11 July 2018 These voters are always portrayed as beholden to forces outside of their control, both socioeconomic and political. — Drew Magary, GQ, "The People Are the Problem," 25 June 2018 The president is unpopular in many suburban and other swing districts, and many Republicans don't want their leader to be viewed as beholden to the whims of the unpredictable president. — Amy Lieu, Fox News, "McCarthy emerges as a front-runner to succeed Ryan as House speaker," 16 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beholden.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for beholden

beholden

adjective

be·hold·en | \ bi-ˈhol-dən

Kids Definition of beholden

: owing the return of a gift or favor I'm not beholden to anyone for my success.

beholden

Definition of beholden

Synonyms for beholden

Did You Know?

Examples of beholden in a Sentence

First Known Use of beholden

History and Etymology for beholden

Kids Definition of beholden

beholden

Definition of beholden

Synonyms for beholden

Did You Know?

Examples of beholden in a Sentence

First Known Use of beholden

History and Etymology for beholden

Kids Definition of beholden

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