held

¹ American  

[held] / hɛld /

verb

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

---

Held ² American  

[held] / hɛld /

noun

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

---

held British  

/ hɛld /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of hold 1

---

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

They held up chains of hand-holding paper dolls.

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

For example, how would we value privately held assets, such as private businesses?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

“What may have looked unbelievable turned out to be exactly that — and now those responsible are being held accountable,” state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

He held his phone above him on his bed.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith