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- composed, cold, distant, withdrawn, taciturn, constrained, reticent, controlled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- composed, cold, distant, withdrawn, taciturn, constrained, reticent, controlled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
- overreserved adjective
- overreservedly adverb
- overreservedness noun
- reservedly adverb
- reservedness noun
Etymology
Origin of reserved
A late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; reserve, -ed 2
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.
He reserved particular ire for Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, both of whom he had appointed.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
China reserved a large offshore airspace for 40 days, from March 27 to May 6, without explanation, an unusual step.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
But the directive reminds faculty that A-minuses should be considered “full mastery of the subject,” while A’s are reserved for “extraordinary distinction.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Dalemain Mansion in Cumbria, which has hosted the World Marmalade Awards since 2005, said it plans to keep its competition reserved to citrus-based spreads, irrespective of whether the naming rules are relaxed in the UK.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
If possible, he was even more reserved now than he had been before his illness.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
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.
