Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Definition, synonyms and related words
simple past tense and past participle of withhold
"The judge withheld evidence that could have changed the verdict."
In plain English: To withhold something means to keep it back and not give it to someone else yet.
"The judge withheld judgment until more evidence was presented."
That one has withheld; kept from the possession or knowledge of another.
"The detective noticed that the suspect had withheld crucial information about where he went last night."
In plain English: Withheld means something that was kept back and not given to someone else when it could have been shared.
"The withheld information made his story sound suspicious to everyone in the room."
Usage: Use "withheld" as an adjective primarily in formal contexts, such as legal documents or official reports, rather than casual conversation. It often appears before nouns like evidence or information to indicate something deliberately kept back by authority.