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Glite Dictionary
to hold the floor

to hold the floor

1 6.1
Keep speaking for a long time in a meeting so others cannot speak
  • idiom
translation icon : tener la palabra
  • The public believes that filibustering senators have to hold the floor.
  • Senator held the floor
  • holds the floor for eight hours
  • hold the floor for as long

Examples

  • In the debate, each candidate tried to hold the floor as long as possible to present their arguments clearly.

  • What I think I need work on is how to hold the floor, how to help myself be heard without people interrupting me.

  • Lukas nodded but didn't interrupt, and I thought how clever it was of him to stay silent while Robert was holding the floor.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Republicans—any minority party, on almost any issue—would be very happy to hold the floor indefinitely.

    Blog text (13)

  • On the other hand, we've seen Bernie Sanders hold the floor—by himself, if necessary—for hours at a time.

    Blog text (4)

  • During the meeting, the CEO managed to hold the floor for an entire hour without interruptions, sharing her vision for the company's future.

  • At the town hall, the community leader was able to hold the floor and address all the concerns raised by the residents.

Synonyms

to hold court
vsto hold the floor
6 7.4

To get people to listen and enjoy what you say

is about maintaining speaking time and right in a meeting or discussion
to hold forth
vsto hold the floor
5 7.4

Talk for a long time about a subject, like giving a lecture

focuses on keeping the right to speak continuously in discussions
to take the floor
vsto hold the floor
2 4.2

Stand up and begin speaking in a meeting or debate

means holding speaking time continuously rather than merely starting to speak

Antonyms

to be quiet
231 1.0

To stop making noise or talking

How Long

at length
47 4.1
to hold the floor
1 6.1
to speak
∞ 1.0
briefly
414 1.0

Surface Forms

hold the floor infinitive
holding the floor present participle
holds the floor third person singular
held the floor past
held the floor past participle

Morphology

hold + the + floor

There is a visible compositional link: 'hold' (to keep or maintain) combined with 'floor' (in this sense, the right or opportunity to speak) yields the meaning 'to keep the speaking turn.' However, the specialized sense of 'floor' as 'the right to address an assembly' is somewhat lexicalized and not necessarily known to a B1 learner who only knows the basic concrete sense of 'floor,' so prior exposure is often needed.

Etymology

Hold the floor comes from meetings where a speaker stood in the speaking area called the 'floor'; to hold the floor meant to stay there and keep talking. That's why it now means 'to speak for a long time' or 'to have the right to speak' in a discussion.