closely held

adjective

: having most stock shares and voting rights in the hands of a few
a closely held business

Examples of closely held in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump administration officials insist that the details shared were not classified, though the Espionage Act technically criminalizes the mishandling of any information deemed to be closely held national defense information even if not classified. Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025 Those not in the know—which included almost all of us in the Opinions section, because the piece was unusually closely held—figured that the delay involved negotiating over tone and adjectives. Ruth Marcus, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 In true Fogelman fashion, any further details about Paradise are being as closely held as the particulars of Jack’s (Milo Ventimiglia) death. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 Dec. 2024 Conferring with Duffy via shoe-phone, Reacher complains that all details of Beck’s operation are closely held at the upper levels. Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for closely held

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of closely held was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Closely held.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/closely%20held. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

Legal Definition

closely held

adjective
close·​ly held
ˈklōs-lē-ˈheld
: having most stock shares and corporate voting rights in the hands of a few shareholders
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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