holding

American  

[hohl-ding] / ˈhoʊl dɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that holds. hold.

2. a section of land leased or otherwise tenanted, especially for agricultural purposes.

3. a company owned by a holding company.

4. Often holdings. legally owned property, especially stocks, bonds, or real estate.

5. Library Science. holdings, the entire collection of books, periodicals, and other materials in a library.

6. Sports. the illegal obstruction of an opponent, as in football, basketball, or ice hockey, by use of the hands, arms, or stick.

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holding British  

/ ˈhəʊldɪŋ /

noun

1. land held under a lease and used for agriculture or similar purposes

2. (often plural) property to which the holder has legal title, such as land, stocks, shares, and other investments

3. sport the obstruction of an opponent with the hands or arms, esp in boxing

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adjective

1. informal in funds; having money

Other Word Forms

• preholding noun

Etymology

Origin of holding

First recorded in 1175–1225, holding is from the Middle English word holding. See hold ¹, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Group stage soccer matches are often spread across venues in a country during the Olympics, with a stadium in the host city holding the final games.

From Los Angeles Times

“On my way to that cell, I passed holding cells filled with people who appeared to be of Latino and East African descent,” she wrote.

From Salon

The nomination also bolstered the U.S. dollar, which raised the opportunity cost of holding dollar-denominated assets.

From Barron's

CME Group, the leading operator of derivatives exchanges, also raised margin requirements for precious-metal futures, increasing the cost of holding positions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Musk has previously mused about a broader tie-up of his companies, once describing a holding company for Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and Boring Co. as a “good idea” several years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• equity
• goods
• ownership
• property