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1. The act of retaining something
   - retention, keeping
    
2. Something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
   - property, belongings

1. Cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity
   "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady";
   - keep, maintain
    
2. Have or keep in one's hands or grip
   "Hold this bowl for a moment, please"; "A crazy idea took hold of him";
   - take hold
    
3. Organize or be responsible for
   "hold a reception";
   - throw, have, make, give
    
4. Have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense
   "She holds a Master's degree from Harvard";
   - have, have got
    
5. Keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view
   "hold these truths to be self-evident"; "I hold him personally responsible";
   - deem, view as, take for
    
6. Maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
   "hold a resentment";
   - harbor [N. Amer], harbour [Brit, Cdn], entertain, nurse, bear
    
7. To close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
   "This holds the local until the express passengers change trains"; "About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade"; "The illegal immigrants were held at a detention centre"; "The terrorists held the journalists for ransom";
   - restrain, confine, constrain
    
8. Secure and keep for possible future use or application
   "The landlord held the security deposit";
   - retain, keep back, hold back
    
9. Have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices
   "He held the governorship for almost a decade";
   - bear
    
10. Be the physical support of; carry the weight of
    "The beam holds up the roof"; "What's holding that mirror?";
    - support, sustain, hold up
     
11. Have within
    "The canteen holds fresh water";
    - bear, carry, contain
     
12. Have room for
    "The auditorium can't hold more than 500 people";
    - accommodate, admit
     
13. Remain in a certain state, position, or condition
    "The weather held"; "They held on the road and kept marching"
     
14. Support or hold in a certain manner
    "She holds her head high";
    - carry, bear
     
15. Be valid, applicable, or true
    "This theory still holds";
    - prevail, obtain
     
16. Assert or affirm
    "Rousseau's philosophy holds that people are inherently good"
     
17. Have as a major characteristic
    "The novel holds many surprises"; "The book holds in store much valuable advise"
     
18. Be capable of holding or containing
    "The flask holds one gallon";
    - contain, take
     
19. Arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance
    "please hold a table at Maxim's";
    - reserve, book
     
20. Protect against a challenge or attack
    "Hold that position behind the trees!"; "Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks";
    - defend, guard
     
21. Bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted
    "He's held by a contract"; "I'll hold you by your promise";
    - oblige, bind, obligate
     
22. Hold the attention of
    "The soprano held the audience"; "This story held our interest"; "She can hold an audience spellbound"
     
23. Remain committed to
    "I hold to these ideas"
     
24. Resist or confront with resistance
    "The bridge held"; "The politician held up public opinion";
    - defy, withstand, hold up
     
25. Be pertinent, relevant or applicable
    "This theory holds for all irrational numbers";
    - apply, go for
     
26. Stop dealing with
    "hold all calls to the President's office while he is in a meeting"
     
27. Lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits
    "hold your tongue"; "hold in your anger";
    - control, hold in, contain, check, curb, moderate, mod [informal]
     
28. Keep from departing
    "Hold the taxi"; "Hold the horse"
     
29. Take and maintain control over, often by violent means
    "The dissatisfied students held the President's office for almost a week"
     
30. Cause to come to an abrupt stop
    "hold the engines";
    - halt, arrest
     
31. Cover as for protection against noise or smell
    "She held her ears when the jackhammer started to operate"; "hold one's nose"
     
32. Drink alcohol without showing ill effects
    "He can hold his liquor";
    - carry
     
33. Aim, point, or direct
    "Hold the fire extinguisher directly on the flames"
     
34. Judge or state to be
    "judge held that the defendant was innocent";
    - declare, adjudge
     
35. Be in accord; be in agreement
    "I hold with those who say life is sacred";
    - agree, concur, concord
     
36. Keep from exhaling or expelling
    "hold your breath"

Derived forms: holdings

See also: held

Type of: affirm, aim, ask for, assert, aver, avow, be, bear on, becharm [archaic], beguile, believe, bespeak, bewitch, booze [informal], call for, captivate, capture, catch, charm, come to, command, conceive, concern, consider, continue, control, cover, defer, direct, disable, disenable, dispute [archaic], drink, enamor [US], enamour [Brit, Cdn], enchant, entrance, evaluate, exist, experience, fascinate, feel, fuddle, go along, go on, have to do with, hit the bottle [informal], hold back, hold on, hold out, hold over, incapacitate, include, judge, keep, keep back, ownership, pass judgment, pertain, possession, postpone, prevent, proceed, prorogue, protect, put off, put over, quest, reckon, refer, regard, relate, remit, request, resist, restrain, see, set back, shelve, stand firm, stop, swear, table [N. Amer], take, take aim, think, touch, touch on, train, trance, verify, view, withstand

Encyclopedia: Holding, Michael