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
DirecTV is in talks to control the combined entity, which will be closely held, the people said.
—
Michelle F. Davis, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024
Vaughn says that details about the films have been closely held, until now.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2024
In the messages, the Morgan Stanley contact wrote in February 2022 that Musk’s Twitter stock-buying strategy was closely held.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2024
Planning appears to have been closely held, even within Ukraine’s own government circles.
—Michael Kofman, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for closely held 
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.
Michelle F. Davis, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024
Vaughn says that details about the films have been closely held, until now.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2024
In the messages, the Morgan Stanley contact wrote in February 2022 that Musk’s Twitter stock-buying strategy was closely held.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2024
Planning appears to have been closely held, even within Ukraine’s own government circles.
—Michael Kofman, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for closely held
Dictionary Entries Near closely held
Cite this Entry
“Closely held.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/closely%20held. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share