1 holding | Definition of holding

holding

noun
hold·​ing | \ ˈhƍl-diƋ 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

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for holding

Synonyms: Noun

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

Visit the Thesaurus for More 

Examples of holding in a Sentence

Noun

penalized 10 yards for holding the holding of “not guilty” took everyone by surprise

Adjective

The troops were engaged in a holding action until reinforcements could arrive.
See More

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 Sadler became interested in him at the advice of East Coast trainer Michael Stidham, whose clients were divesting some of their holdings. San Diego Union-Tribune, "SoCal connections score upset with Higher Power in Pacific Classic," 17 Aug. 2019 Ongoing financial oversight of your investments generally costs about 1 percent of your holdings. Mike Oliver | [email protected], al, "My Vinyl Countdown preparing or the last post -- I need another 30 months," 10 Aug. 2019 But those holdings tend to be concentrated at the top, with the top 10% in wealth owning almost 90% of the stocks in the U.S. Ben Carlson, Fortune, "Does the Stock Market Have a Say in the Presidential Election?," 6 Aug. 2019 Conceivably, Chinese officials could threaten to liquidate some of its vast holdings of U.S. Treasury securities. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, "Donald Trump’s Trade War with China Is Spiralling out of Control," 6 Aug. 2019 Those holdings include tracts in places including Columbia County, Gaston, Corvallis and Union County. oregonlive.com, "‘Majestic’ Douglas fir stood for 420 years. Then Oregon State University foresters cut it down," 26 July 2019 Financial leaders say that some wealthy families from mainland China and Hong Kong itself have been transferring sizable chunks of their holdings from bank accounts in Hong Kong to accounts elsewhere, particularly in Singapore. Keith Bradsher, New York Times, "Hong Kong’s Approach to Protesters: No More Concessions," 19 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

It was established in 1997 to meet the needs of parents in the community, focusing on activities for parents of children birth to 3 years old and holding interactive sessions each month for families, according to the schools website. Charlie Lapastora, Fox News, "Barbara Bush's passion for education and family lives on," 20 Apr. 2018 Here’s how holding office affects Florida lawmakers’ incomes But surprisingly, Florida lawmakers did not boost their incomes while in office. Kevin Fahey, Washington Post, "Are most American politicians profiting from their offices? Not according to this data.," 10 Aug. 2017 Please explain how holding secret meetings on the health care bill relates to consent of the governed. Mary Schmich, chicagotribune.com, "A new Declaration of Independence — from the Republican health care plan," 27 June 2017

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.

See More

First Known Use of holding

Noun

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

Adjective

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

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

Keep scrolling for more

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