held

¹ American  

[held] / hɛld /

verb

1. simple past tense and a past participle of hold.

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Held ² American  

[held] / hɛld /

noun

1. John, Jr., 1889–1958, U.S. cartoonist, illustrator, and writer.

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held British  

/ hɛld /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of hold 1

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Other Word Forms

• unheld adjective

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

She did it against Spain on Tuesday, as England held on to a significant 1-0 win in part thanks to her acrobatic save, denying Edna Imade late on.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The uproar is merely the latest example of the massive inflation that has come to define the first World Cup held in the U.S. since 1994.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Denser sponges held up better over time and released fewer microplastic fibers, while less dense versions broke down more quickly.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

These assets were matched by liabilities — reserves held by banks in accounts at the Fed.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

Instead, she held up something: an untidy bundle of switches.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck