Dictionary

withhold en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /wɪθˈhoʊld/ (US)
• (Australia) audio
• /wɪθˈhəʊld/ (UK)
• /wɪðˈhəʊld/ (UK)
• /wɪðˈhoʊld/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English withholden. Equivalent to with- + hold.

Meanings

1. An immoral action or condition (an overt) that has not been disclosed to others; the consciousness of such an action or condition.
   • Dianetics is concerned with purifying the individual of negative emotions, evil spirits, overts, and withholds. 1976, Nathaniel Lande, Mindstyles, Lifestyles, →ISBN, page 133:
   • I was afraid to go into review for the help I needed because of the withholds I had against the organization, withholds acquired at the franchise: our late evening discussions, our kidding around at the expense of other Scientologists. 1972, Robert Kaufman, Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman, →ISBN, page 150:
   • The scientology theory is that marriages fail because one or both partners have undisclosed withholds, and when they confess these to their spouse their desire to end the relationship is dissipated and the marriage is saved. 2022, Mike Rinder, A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology, →ISBN, pages 138–9:

Forms

Deriveds

O/W

withhold en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /wɪθˈhoʊld/ (US)
• (Australia) audio
• /wɪθˈhəʊld/ (UK)
• /wɪðˈhəʊld/ (UK)
• /wɪðˈhoʊld/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English withholden. Equivalent to with- + hold.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To keep (a physical object that one has obtained) to oneself rather than giving it back to its owner.
   • Us if he ſhall hear novv, hovv much leſs vvill he hear vvhen vve cry hereafter, vvho once deliver'd by him from a King, and not vvithout vvondrous Acts of his Providence, inſenſible and unvvorthy of thoſe high Mercies, are returning precipitantly, if he vvithold us not, back to the Captivity from vvhence he freed us. 1660 February, John Milton, The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth, and the Excellence thereof, Compar’d with the Inconveniencies and Dangers of Readmitting Kingship in this Nation; republished in A Complete Collection of the Historical, Political, and Miscellaneous Works of John Milton, […], volume II, Amsterdam [actually London: s.n.], 1698, →OCLC, page 793:
   • The bank withheld her credit card.
2. (transitive) To keep (information, assent, etc.) to oneself rather than revealing it.
   • a withheld phone number
   • withhold vital information
3. (intransitive) To stay back, to refrain.
   • Maria Goldberg, marketing director for Great Southern Restaurants, said The Fish House in Pensacola, so far, has been able to withhold from raising menu prices. 2022 January 10, Brittany Misencik, “Pensacola seafood markets face no-win choice amid pandemic: Raise prices or cut stock”, in Pensacola News Journal:
   • I’ll withhold from asking about it.
   • On the assumption that a vast majority of readers also enjoy writing, I could not withhold from asking the expert for some advice. 2015 February 25, “My day at Malorie Blackman's book launch”, in The Guardian:
   • Do you wish to proceed with those down the line in that order? […] We’ll withhold for now. 1971 October 26, William J. Randall, Hearings Before the Special Committee on the Utilization of Manpower in the Military […] House of Representatives, Ninety-Second Congress, First and Second Sessions, published 1972, page 12759:

Forms

Deriveds

overwithhold · underwithhold

Synonyms

retain (keep (a physical object) to oneself)

Translations (81)

bg скривам (to keep information) · cmn 扣留 (to retain) · bg задържам (to keep an object) · ar اِحْتَفَظَ (to keep an object) · fi pitää omana tietonaan (to keep information) · ru ута́ивать (to keep information) · fi evätä (to retain) · egy i-d:idr (to keep an object) · es negar (to keep information) · cs podržet si (to retain) · hu megtart (to keep an object) · cs ponechat si (to keep information) · fi pitää itsellään (to keep an object) · es retener (to keep information) · bg премълчавам (to keep information) · pt reter (to retain) · cmn 保留 (to retain) · mi tā(tā)whi (to keep an object) · mi kaiponu (to keep an object) · sv behålla (to keep an object) · nl onthouden (to retain) · gl reter (to keep an object) · nl achterhouden (to keep an object) · bg въздържа се (to refrain) · ru скрывать (to keep information) · mi meko (to retain) · cs neposkytnout (to keep an object) · nl onttrekken (aan) (to retain) · de zurückhalten (to keep information) · cs zadržet (to keep information) · ar كتم (to keep information) · la dētrāhō (to keep an object) · es reservar (to keep information) · de vorenthalten (to keep information) · ar إستئثار (to retain) · cs zadržet (to keep an object) · pt reter (to keep an object) · bg спирам (to retain) · hu elhallgat (to keep information) · sv undanhålla (to keep information) · sv avstå (to refrain) · nl achterhouden (to keep information) · mi meko (to keep an object) · ang oftēon (to keep an object) · pt privar (to keep information) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽 (to keep an object) · de zurückhalten (to keep an object) · pl zatrzymać (to keep an object) · ca retenir (to retain) · de vorenthalten (to retain) · fi pimittää (to keep information) · cs ututlat (to keep information) · hu visszatart (to retain) · ca retenir (to keep information) · bg удържам (to retain) · es retener (to keep an object) · cs zatajit (to keep information) · bg възпирам се (to refrain) · ru ума́лчивать (to keep information) · it trattenere (to keep an object) · cs odmítnout (to retain) · cs utajit (to keep information) · cs ponechat si (to keep an object) · es retener (to retain) · pl zatrzymywać (to keep an object) · ang æthealdan (to keep an object) · ru уде́рживать (to keep an object) · ru удержа́ть (to keep an object) · ca retenir (to keep an object) · bg възпра се (to refrain) · es rehusar (to keep information) · el κατακρατώ (to keep an object) · fi pitää (to keep an object) · de einbehalten (to keep an object) · cmn 隐瞒 (to keep information) · cmn 据为己有 (to keep an object) · es negar (to keep an object) · sv avhålla (to refrain) · cs odepřít (to retain) · cs ponechat si (to retain) · bg въздържам се (to refrain)