# beholden

> English word · Adjective · IPA /bɪˈhəʊldən/ · frequency rank #36,451

## Definitions
1. Obligated to provide, display, or do something for another; indebted, obliged for a bounden duty.

## Etymology
From Middle English biholden (“beholden, obligated”), past participle of biholden (“to behold, look at”, modern behold), though that verb does not mean "to bind, obligate".

## Easily confused with
- **beholder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beholden-vs-beholder)
- **behold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behold-vs-beholden)

## Common misspellings (12)
`bbeholden`, `behholden`, `behloden`, `behodlen`, `beholdden`, `beholdenn`, `beholdne`, `beholedn`, `behollden`, `beohlden`, `bheolden`, `ebholden`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/beholden