'presently-held' originates from the combination of 'presently,' meaning 'at the present time,' and 'held,' the past participle of 'hold,' meaning 'to have or keep in one's possession.'

'presently-held' evolved from the Middle English word 'holden,' which meant 'to keep or possess,' and 'presently,' which has been used since the 14th century to mean 'at the present time.'

Initially, 'held' meant 'to keep or possess,' and 'presently' meant 'at the present time.' The combination has retained its meaning of 'currently in possession.'