# withheld

/wɪθˈhɛɫd/ (US) · /wɪðhˈɛld/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/withheld
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. refused to give

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to have kept something back instead of giving it to someone.

For teachers: the past tense of 'withhold', meaning to have refused to give or grant something that was due or requested.

- The company withheld the employee's final paycheck until he returned the laptop.
- The authorities withheld the suspect's name from the press until the formal charges were filed in the high court.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'from' to indicate the person who did not receive the item.

### 2. kept secret

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to have kept information or the truth hidden.

For teachers: to have refrained from disclosing information or evidence.

- The witness withheld important details about the accident during the first interview.
- The prosecution argued that the defense had deliberately withheld evidence that was crucial to the jury's understanding of the motive.

Usage: Commonly used in legal or professional contexts regarding evidence or testimony.

### 3. kept back

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

describes something that is being kept away or not shared.

For teachers: describing something that has been kept back from the possession or knowledge of another.

- The withheld information finally came out years after the trial ended.
- The report highlighted several instances of withheld payments that had caused significant financial distress to the subcontractors.

Usage: Usually sits before the noun it describes.

## Examples

- The bank withheld the funds until the check cleared.
- During the investigation, the witness withheld several key details that could have identified the suspect.
- The government withheld the classified documents for decades, citing national security concerns that outweighed the public's right to know the historical truth.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.