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.
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 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
Which Song Held the No. 1 Spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 Nonconsecutive Weeks in 2024?
From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026
Held once every four years, often in finicky environments, pressurized with all that hype, they’re less a measure of consistency than they are of momentary mettle.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
Held up her index finger, as if to say, Just a moment.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
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.
