keeping

1 of 2

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

keeping

2 of 2

present participle of keep entry 1

Synonyms of keeping

Noun

• custody
• care

Examples of keeping in a Sentence

Noun

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

Noun

Related Articles Luckily, all of the book’s 150 large interior pages, or parchments made from sheepskins, are in safe keeping and were not displayed with the ornate cover at the time of the theft. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026

So, while her engagement ring may be put away for safe keeping, this royal definitely continues to have a flair for chic bands. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026

This is needed for things like orbit corrections, station-keeping, attitude control, and collision avoidance. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026

For safe-keeping, the flag is displayed in very low light, giving the chamber a sacred feel, like a cathedral crypt. — Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

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
• keeping the peace
• out of keeping with
• record-keeping
• standing/keeping guard
• what is keeping someone

Rhymes for keeping

• beeping
• creeping
• heaping
• leaping
• peeping
• reaping
• seeping
• sleeping
• steeping
• sweeping
• weeping
• beekeeping

Kids Definition

keeping

noun

keep·​ing

ˈkē-piŋ

1

: watchful attention : care

2

: a proper or fitting relationship : harmony

in keeping with good taste