Refers to a person who holds a record, title, license, permit, or similar official status. Often used in formal or legal contexts.
He is the holder of the world record.
License holders must complete the renewal procedure.
保有者 is similar but often used for possession of tangible items or assets, whereas 保持者 is more abstract (records, titles, qualifications).
Compound of 保持 (hoji, 'holding, maintaining') + 者 (sha, 'person'). The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the word follows a common Sino-Japanese pattern for agent nouns.