What does holdout mean?
A holdout is someone or something that refuses to join, agree, surrender, or participate in a wider agreement or activity. The expression is especially common when negotiations, contracts, political decisions, or collaborative projects are nearing completion but one person or group remains resistant. Calling someone a holdout suggests stubbornness, reluctance, or an effort to obtain further concessions, although the word can also describe a person left outside a group for practical reasons. In less common usage, a holdout can refer to an item, payment, or resource that remains outstanding or has been held back. The word is usually mildly negative and appears frequently in news, legal, business, and political contexts. It is useful because it captures both resistance and the position of being the final participant who prevents a group or process from reaching closure.
A person or group that refuses to participate in, agree to, or surrender from an agreement, negotiation, or collective action.
"The negotiation continued for weeks because one holdout refused to compromise."
Commonly used for the final person or group that resists agreement, especially in political, legal, business, and sporting contexts.
Something that remains outstanding, withheld, or separate from a larger process or group.
"The final holdout was scheduled for a later date than the rest of the participants."
This sense is less common than the sense of a person or group resisting agreement.
Used for multiple people, groups, or items that refuse to join or agree, or that remain outstanding.
"Several holdouts prevented the committee from reaching a unanimous decision."
A holdout is the person who keeps a negotiation alive by refusing to give in.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does holdout come from?
The word is a compound of the verb hold and the particle out, with the sense of someone who keeps hold of a position or refuses to come out of a negotiation or dispute. Its underlying root is the Old English haldan, meaning “to grasp, keep, or maintain.” Related English words include uphold, withhold, and beholder, although holdout itself developed as a modern compound.
How holdout is actually used
The word commonly has a mildly negative or adversarial connotation because it describes resistance or refusal. It is especially frequent in news and political, legal, and business reporting.
Easily confused with holdout
A holdout resists joining or agreeing, whereas a holdover remains in a position or role longer than expected.