the act of holding back or keeping within your possession or control preservation and methodical arrangement as of documents and papers etc. 1. Tending to impede or delay progress: a holding action. 2. Designed for usually short-term storage or retention: a holding tank; a holding cell. HOLDING definition: 1. something that you own such as shares in a company or buildings, or land that you rent and farm…. Learn more. A holding is an area of farm land which is owned or rented by the person who grows crops on it. The comprehensive definition of holding. Includes pronunciation, synonyms, etymology, and usage examples to help you master this word. The meaning of HOLDING is land held especially by a vassal or tenant. How to use holding in a sentence. HOLDING definition: the act of a person or thing that holds. See examples of holding used in a sentence.