behållen

Behållen is a Swedish adjective derived from the verb behålla, meaning to retain or keep. It describes something that has been kept, preserved, or retained, often implying that nothing has been lost or diminished. The form can function as a past participle used attributively (en behållen hemlighet) or predicatively (Hemligheten är behållen). Its use is common in formal, administrative, or literary contexts, and it is appropriate for intangible things like secrets, integrity, or standards as well as physical items when retention is important.

The word is related to the noun behållning, meaning retention or composure, and to the verb behålla. In practice, synonyms include bevarad or bevarad/behållen depending on nuance; bevarad emphasizes preservation, while behållen emphasizes continued possession or lack of loss. The form agrees with standard Swedish adjective inflection; neuter and plural endings depend on the noun.

Common examples: en behållen hemlighet ("a well-kept secret"), behållen integritet ("retained integrity"), behållen standard ("retained standard"). The term is comparatively formal and may appear in written statements, reports, or literary prose rather than casual speech.

Etymology: from behålla + suffix -en forming a past participle adjective. The concept conveys that something has been kept or preserved rather than newly created, and it is often used to stress continuity or protection of a value or asset.

See also: behålla, behållning, bevara, integritet.