was not held

USAGE SUMMARY

"was not held" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that an event or meeting was canceled or did not happen. For example: The staff meeting scheduled for yesterday was not held.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It was not held yesterday.

The New York Times - Arts

"I was not held back".

The New Yorker

The ceremony was not held on Saturday.

The New York Times - Arts

It was not held and Taylor was forced into exile.

The Guardian

It is next Monday; the hearing was not held yesterday.

The New York Times

Unlike Obama, Huey Long was not held responsible for declines in millions of 401 k)s.

The Washington Post

The first cross-border reunion was not held until 1985, when only 65 families were rejoined.

The New York Times

Or that he was not held out of practice this week.

The New York Times

It was the first time the show was not held in Los Angeles.

The New York Times

The event was not held in a well-lighted theater, or broadcast to millions at home.

The New York Times

After his arrest, Mr. Harris was not held at the local jail.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "was not held" to clearly and directly indicate that an event, meeting, election, or other scheduled activity did not occur. This is particularly useful in formal reports or when documenting a series of events to accurately reflect what transpired.

Common error

Avoid using "was not held" when you mean something was simply delayed or postponed. If the event is intended to happen later, use "was postponed" or "was delayed" instead to more accurately reflect the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was not held" functions as a passive construction indicating that something did not occur or was not conducted. It is typically used to describe events, meetings, elections, or other activities that were scheduled but did not take place.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Wiki

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Academia

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "was not held" is a grammatically sound and commonly used passive construction that clearly indicates the non-occurrence of an event, meeting, or activity. As Ludwig AI confirms, its frequent use in news, encyclopedias and scientific writing, as well as business contexts makes it a versatile and useful phrase. While several alternatives exist, such as "did not take place" or "was canceled", the choice depends on the specific context and desired nuance. Be mindful not to confuse it with similar passive constructions like "was postponed" and remember it indicates an event did not occur, rather than it was moved to a different date.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

did not take place

Replaces "was held" with "take place" to convey the event didn't occur.

did not happen

Uses a more general term "happen" instead of "held" to indicate an event didn't occur.

was canceled

Specifies the reason for not holding the event: cancellation.

was not conducted

Emphasizes that a process or activity was not carried out.

was not staged

Suitable when referring to performances or events that are 'staged'.

was not convened

More formal alternative, specifically for meetings or gatherings.

was omitted

Indicates something was intentionally left out or excluded.

was skipped

Suggests an event was intentionally passed over or avoided.

was suspended

Implies the event was temporarily stopped or postponed.

never occurred

Stresses that the event did not happen at any time.

FAQs

How to use "was not held" in a sentence?

Use "was not held" to indicate that an event, meeting, or activity did not take place as scheduled. For example, "The annual meeting "was not held" due to unforeseen circumstances."

What can I say instead of "was not held"?

You can use alternatives like "did not take place", "was canceled", or "did not happen" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "wasn't held" instead of "was not held"?

Yes, "wasn't held" is the contracted form of "was not held" and is perfectly acceptable in informal contexts. Both phrases carry the same meaning.

What's the difference between "was not held" and "was not supported"?

"Was not held" indicates that an event or activity did not occur, while "was not supported" implies a lack of assistance or endorsement for something.