1 holding | Definition of holding

holding

noun
hold·​ing | \ ˈhōl-diŋ How to pronounce holding (audio) \

Definition of holding

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : land held especially by a vassal or tenant
b : property (such as land or securities) owned usually used in plural
2 : a ruling of a court especially on an issue of law raised in a case — compare dictum
3 : something that holds

holding

adjective

Definition of holding (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : having the effect of holding back or delaying something the [war] represented a holding action against the spread of world Communism— Sidney Offit
2 : intended for usually temporary storage or retention a holding tank

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Synonyms for holding

Synonyms: Noun

doom, finding, judgment (or judgement), ruling, sentence

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Examples of holding in a Sentence

Noun

penalized 10 yards for holding the holding of “not guilty” took everyone by surprise
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

One of their largest holdings outside pharmaceuticals appears to be an estimated $1.7 billion portfolio in a family company, Cap 1 LLC, that recently sold a stake in 17 U.S. ski resorts. Adam Geller, courant.com, "Sackler family’s web makes it hard to track cash from Purdue Pharma," 2 Sep. 2019 According to the will, which was obtained by the New York Post on Monday along with other records, Epstein left all of his holdings in a trust, called The 1953 Trust. Andrew Boryga, sun-sentinel.com, "Jeffrey Epstein signed his will two days before his suicide," 19 Aug. 2019

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

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First Known Use of holding

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for holding

holding

noun

English Language Learners Definition of holding

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: property (such as land or stocks) that is owned by someone
sports : the illegal act of using your hands or arms to slow or stop the movement of an opponent in sports like ice hockey and American football

holding

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of holding (Entry 2 of 2)

: causing or intended to cause a temporary stop or delay
used to describe a place where someone or something is kept for a time before being moved somewhere else

holding

noun
hold·​ing

Legal Definition of holding

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a ruling of a court upon an issue of law raised in a case : the pronouncement of law supported by the reasoning in a court's opinion — compare decision, dictum, disposition, finding, judgment, opinion, ruling, verdict
2 : any property that is owned or possessed usually used in pl. an increase in the company's holdings

holding

adjective

Legal Definition of holding (Entry 2 of 2)

: intended for temporary custody or detention a holding facility a holding cell

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More from Merriam-Webster on holding

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with holding

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for holding

Nglish: Translation of holding for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of holding for Arabic Speakers

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