English Meaning & Definitions
To refuse to give something that is due or desired, or to suppress or hold back from action.
- “The company withheld payment until the project was completed to their satisfaction.”
- “She withheld her true feelings during the meeting to avoid causing a conflict.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “withheld”.
Derived from the Middle English 'withholden', a combination of 'with-' (meaning 'against' or 'back') and 'holden' (the past participle of 'hold'). Historically, it evolved from the Old English 'wiðhealdan', where 'wið' meant 'against' and 'healdan' meant 'to hold' or 'to keep'. The sense of 'holding back' or 'retaining' has remained consistent since the 12th century.
Think of 'with' (together/against) + 'held' (kept in your hand). If you have something in your hand and you keep it 'with' you instead of giving it away, you have withheld it.
Frequently Asked Questions About “withheld”
1. What is the meaning of “withheld” in English?
In English, withheld (verb) is defined as: “To refuse to give something that is due or desired, or to suppress or hold back from action.”.
2. How do you use “withheld” in a sentence?
“The company withheld payment until the project was completed to their satisfaction.”
3. What are English synonyms of “withheld”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “withheld”?
Derived from the Middle English 'withholden', a combination of 'with-' (meaning 'against' or 'back') and 'holden' (the past participle of 'hold'). Historically, it evolved from the Old English 'wiðhealdan', where 'wið' meant 'against' and 'healdan' meant 'to hold' or 'to keep'. The sense of 'holding back' or 'retaining' has remained consistent since the 12th century.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.