retention

American  

[ri-ten-shuhn] / rɪˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

1. the act of retaining.

2. the state of being retained.

3. the power to retain; capacity for retaining.

4. the act or power of remembering things; memory.

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retention British  

/ rɪˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of retaining or state of being retained

2. the capacity to hold or retain liquid

3. the capacity to remember

4. pathol the abnormal holding within the body of urine, faeces, etc, that are normally excreted

5. commerce a sum of money owed to a contractor but not paid for an agreed period as a safeguard against any faults found in the work carried out

6. (plural) accounting profits earned by a company but not distributed as dividends; retained earnings

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Usage

What is retention? Retention is the act of retaining, that is, holding onto or keeping possession of something, as in Kim noted the plant’s successful retention of water. Retention is also used to refer to the state of being retained or having the power to retain something, as in The lawyer was outraged by the police’s continued retention of his client. Retention can also mean that something or someone has the power to retain things, especially a person’s ability to retain information in their memory, as in Weekly testing is done to improve students’ retention of what they have learned. Example: Justine worked hard to improve the retention of skilled employees at her company.

Other Word Forms

• nonretention
  noun
• overretention
  noun

Etymology

Origin of retention

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English retencion, from Latin retentiōn-, stem of retentiō “restraint, withholding,” from retent(us) “held back” (past participle of retinēre “to hold back”; see retain) + -iō -ion

Explanation

You can use retention to mean the ability to keep or hold. If you have extraordinary powers of retention, you remember everything you hear or learn. Are your ankles ever swollen after a long flight? This comes from the lack of movement which can cause the retention of water. The roots of the word, Latin re- "back" and tenere "to hold," say it all. You often use the word in the military or business contexts to talk about keeping soldiers, or employees, from leaving. If you're lucky, they might offer you a retention bonus to prevent you from quitting.

Example Sentences

Retention rates for shoppers spending at least $10,000 annually were above 90%.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026

Retention plummeted, and the company lost its internal culture while reaping large profits for its owners and investors.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2024

Retention rates for most A-levels and other equivalent qualifications are consistently above 90%.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2024

Retention ponds and wetlands constructed as part of major road schemes can reduce the quantities of tyre particles entering the aquatic environment by an average of 75%, new research has shown.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2024

No they sometimes also derive their Origine from internal Causes, as the Acrimony of Humours, or their Malignant Quality; the Retention of a Splint of a Bone, and other things of the like Nature.

From The Compleat Surgeon or, the whole Art of Surgery explain'd in a most familiar Method. by Le Clerc, Charles Gabriel