held discussions with

USAGE SUMMARY

"held discussions with" is a correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It is typically used to describe a conversation or exchange of ideas between two or more people. It implies a more formal or organized conversation rather than a casual chat. Example: The government officials held discussions with community leaders to address the rising crime rate in the neighborhood.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Siemens reportedly had held discussions with private equity firms about selling its stake.

The New York Times

And in 2003, Orrick held discussions with another California firm, Cooley Godward, which eventually fell apart.

The New York Times

This is not the first time that KPN has held discussions with Belgacom.

The New York Times

Troup said he had already held discussions with the Swiss authorities about the dramatic shortfall.

The Guardian

He has held discussions with Republicans seeking State Senate seats as he contemplates making endorsements.

The New York Times

Speech-recognition software company Nuance has reportedly held discussions with Samsung over an acquisition.

The Guardian - Tech

East has held discussions with ValueAct, which were described as constructive and not confrontational.

The Guardian - Business

Nieuw-Sloten held discussions with its 550 members over the weekend to gauge the mood.

The Guardian - Sport

A Tottenham statement read: "We have held discussions with the Premier League and Uefa.

The Guardian - Sport

TPG has held discussions with Greylock Partners, another venture capital firm, about a possible alignment, two people said.

The New York Times

The South African government has held discussions with the mining industry about aligning royalties and taxation with international practice.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "held discussions with" when you want to convey a formal or organized conversation involving specific topics or goals. It's suitable for professional, academic, and news contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "held discussions with" in casual or informal settings. Simpler alternatives like "talked to" or "spoke with" are more appropriate for everyday conversations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "held discussions with" functions as a verb phrase indicating the action of engaging in formal or organized conversations. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread use in describing communicative interactions across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "held discussions with" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase that conveys a formal or organized exchange of ideas. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's prevalent in news, business, and academic contexts. While versatile, it's best suited for formal settings; informal conversations may benefit from simpler alternatives like "talked to". Remember to use it when precision and professionalism are key in describing communicative interactions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

held conversations with

Replaces "discussions" with "conversations", suggesting a more informal exchange of ideas.

held deliberations with

Replaces "discussions" with "deliberations", implying a more formal and thorough consideration of the issues.

held meetings with

Substitutes "discussions" with "meetings", focusing on the scheduled gathering rather than the content of the conversation.

conducted discussions with

Replaces "held" with "conducted", emphasizing the action of managing or leading the discussions.

organized discussions with

Uses "organized" instead of "held", highlighting the planning and structuring of the discussions.

organised discussions with

Variant spelling of "organized", highlighting the planning of discussions.

engaged in talks with

Replaces "held discussions" with "engaged in talks", focusing on the active participation in conversations.

conferred with

Uses "conferred" to indicate a formal consultation or exchange of views.

negotiated with

Implies a discussion aimed at reaching an agreement or compromise.

consulted with

Suggests seeking advice or expertise through discussions.

FAQs

What does "held discussions with" mean?

The phrase "held discussions with" indicates that a conversation or exchange of ideas took place between two or more parties, often in a formal or organized setting.

How to use "held discussions with" in a sentence?

You can use "held discussions with" to describe a situation where people or organizations communicated about a specific topic. For example, "The company "held discussions with" potential investors regarding the new project."

What can I say instead of "held discussions with"?

You can use alternatives like "held conversations with", "engaged in talks with", or "conferred with" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "held discussions with" versus "talked to"?

"Held discussions with" is more appropriate in formal contexts to describe organized conversations, while "talked to" is suitable for casual and informal situations.