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 at USC, the event honors storytellers across genres, hosting readings, screenings and performances.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Held at the London Palladium, the WhatsOnStage Awards have been running since 2001 and are voted for by the general public.
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026
Held together with scrounged parts and ingenuity, Iran’s aging jets are falling in dogfights.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 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 back what I knew, and my reasons were not the least bit noble like hers.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
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.
