Held dear (9)
I believe the answer is:
cherished
<span class="explanation-format__ClueExplanation">'<span class="explanation-format__original">held dear</span>' is the definition.<br/ ><span class="explanation-format__explanation">(synonyms)</span><br/ ><br/ >This is all the clue.<br/ ></span>
(Other definitions for cherished that I've seen before include "Precious" , "Held dear" , "clung to" , "Greatly valued" , "Lovingly cared for" .)