Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “withhold” come from?

Withhold comes from Middle English withholden, a verb combining with and holden meaning to hold back or retain.

withhold (English): To keep to oneself rather than giving it back to...

Definitions

  1. To keep to oneself rather than giving it back to...

Ancestry of “withhold”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishholdTo grasp or grip; To contain or store; "To...
2EnglishholeA hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;...
3Middle Englishholehealthy; safe; whole, complete, full
4Old Englishhola hole, a hollow; calumny; slander
5Proto-West Germanicholhollow; hole
6Proto-Germanichuląa hollow; depression; hole
7Proto-Germanichulazhollow
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “withhold”

  • withholder
  • withholdest
  • withholdment
  • overwithhold
  • underwithhold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →