ENGLISH
REFERENCE

holding

n.
US //ˈhoʊɫdɪŋ// UK //hˈəʊldɪŋ// hold·ing
  1. 1 financial assets (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    something you own, especially land, property, or shares in a company.

    an area of land held by lease or ownership, or a quantity of shares and bonds held by an investor.

    Example

    The family has large land holdings in the northern part of the country.

    Example

    The investment fund diversified its portfolio by reducing its holdings in fossil fuels and increasing its stake in renewable energy startups.

  2. 2 sports foul (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

    a mistake in a game where a player illegally grabs or stops an opponent.

    an illegal tactic in contact sports involving the restriction of an opponent's movement using the hands or arms.

    Example

    The referee called a penalty for holding after the defender grabbed the striker's shirt.

    Example

    The offensive lineman was flagged for holding, resulting in a ten-yard penalty that stalled the team's momentum late in the fourth quarter.

Show 1 more senseShow fewer
  1. 3 legal ruling (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Technical Law

    a decision made by a judge or a court of law.

    a court's determination of a matter of law based on the issues presented in a particular case.

    Example

    The court's holding changed how the law is applied to privacy cases.

    Example

    Legal scholars debated the implications of the Supreme Court's holding, arguing that the narrow ruling failed to address the broader constitutional questions at hand.

Word family
Idioms3 entries

© 2026 English Reference