'withhold' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'wiðhealdan', where 'wið' meant 'against' and 'healdan' meant 'to hold'.

'wiðhealdan' transformed into the Middle English word 'withholden', and eventually became the modern English word 'withhold'.

Initially, it meant 'to hold back or restrain', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.