keeping

noun

keep·​ing ˈkē-piŋ 

1

: conformity

in keeping with good taste

out of keeping with the decor

2

: the act of one that keeps: such as

a

: custody, maintenance

b

: observance

c

: a reserving or preserving for future use

3

a

: the means by which something is kept : support, provision

b

: the state of being kept or the condition in which something is kept

the house is in good keeping

Synonyms

• care
• custodianship
• custody
• guardianship
• safekeeping
• trust
• ward

Examples of keeping in a Sentence

put the house keys into a neighbor's secure keeping while they were on vacation

my aunt has all of our family's old photographs in her keeping

Recent Examples on the Web

And though the plot of her life may have run away from her, her diary keeping imposes order once again. —Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024

Los Alamitos coach Nate Berger said the coaching staff has stressed the importance of keeping focused in the final minutes of games. —Lou Ponsi, Orange County Register, 6 Dec. 2024

What will happen to the ancient woodlands—the spaces known to be forested since record keeping began in 1600? —Krista Stevens, Longreads, 22 Nov. 2024

Another alarming climate milestones during the month included a lack of snow atop Mt. Fuji in Japan for the first time in 130 years of record keeping. —Brandon Miller, CNN, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing keeping

• how are you keeping
• in keeping with
• in someone's keeping
• keeping a watching brief
• keeping company with the likes of
• keeping room
• out of keeping with
• record-keeping
• what is keeping someone

Kids Definition

keeping

noun

keep·​ing

ˈkē-piŋ

1

: watchful attention : care

2

: a proper or fitting relationship : harmony

in keeping with good taste