reserved
Americanadjective
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kept or set apart for some particular use or purpose.
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kept by special arrangement for some person.
a reserved seat.
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formal or self-restrained in manner and relationship; avoiding familiarity or intimacy with others.
a quiet, reserved man.
- Synonyms:
- composed, cold, distant, withdrawn, taciturn, constrained, reticent, controlled
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characterized by reserve, as the disposition, manner, etc..
reserved comments.
- Synonyms:
- composed, cold, distant, withdrawn, taciturn, constrained, reticent, controlled
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retaining the original color of a surface, especially when decorating portions of the surface with other colors.
adjective
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set aside for use by a particular person or people
this table is reserved
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cool or formal in manner; restrained, silent, or reticent
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destined; fated
reserved for great things
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referring to matters that are the responsibility of the national parliament rather than a devolved regional assembly
defence is a reserved issue
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of reserved
A late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at reserve, -ed 2
Explanation
If you're reserved, you're the opposite of a loudmouth or a cut-up: you're polite, you have a lot of self-control, and you don't show your feelings. Reserved can also mean "set aside." If your seats at a concert are reserved, that means they're saved for you. If there aren't any reserved seats — if it's all general admission — you should get there early to get a good seat.
Vocabulary lists containing reserved
The Great Gatsby
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The Bill of Rights
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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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.
Reserved seating, Saturday $116; Sunday prices range from $127 to $144 for adults and $96 to $111 for juniors.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
The second bill he vetoed, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act, would have required the Interior Department to help the tribe in Florida prevent flooding in a part of their community that has vulnerable infrastructure.
From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025
Within this Sinsay sales—which generate around 55% of the group total—rose 25% to 3.37 billion zloty, while Reserved sales rose 23% to 1.73 billion zloty.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
Reserved tables and individual tickets for the red-carpet show can be purchased at seattlesports.org.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2023
Dylan and I walk the entire first two aisles before we spot an empty cubicle with a little sign that says Reserved for Junior Agent Trainees attached to the phone.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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.
