held
verb
simple past tense and a past participle of hold.
held
1 American
[held]
/ hɛld /
verb
Held
2
American
[held]
/ hɛld /
noun
held
British
/ hɛld /
verb
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Anything that's held is controlled or kept by someone (or something). A city, for example, might be held by an attacking army. A rebel-held town is occupied by an invading group of rebels, and a Republican-held government is controlled by that particular political party. When Americans win so many medals in the Olympics that they break a world record, you might hear it described as a US-held record. Held comes from the Old English haldan, "to possess, contain, or rule."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He noted that California’s coastal practices have long been held up as a gold standard in this country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
In May, Insight held a conference-turned-survival workshop in Hollywood for about 100 executives from its portfolio of startups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The protesters want the exam scrapped and held again.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Previously the only time the festival was held in Northern Ireland was in 2013, with the event in Londonderry attracting an estimated 400,000 people and 20,000 performers.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Ruth held out an empty giant nacho cheese can.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Held every four years to select presidential nominees, the Democratic and Republican conventions are gatherings of the party faithful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
Held in large venues around the world throughout the year, it involves a gruelling circuit of eight strength-based exercise stations with a one-kilometre run between each.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
Held in police custody for 11 hours, which would have included questioning under caution, Mountbatten-Windsor was released while the investigation into his conduct continues.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026
Held each Oscar season to support the fund’s hospital and senior-care facilities, including the Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, the gala attracts A-list actors and top entertainment executives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026
This cane Held business appears at first to have just two colors: a too-big blue sky, and a too-much green cane, growing like giant grass.
From "Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti" by Frances Temple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
