irretentive

[ ir-i-ten-tiv ]

/ ˌɪr ɪˈtɛn tɪv /

adjective

not retentive; lacking power to retain, especially mentally.

Words nearby irretentive

irrespective, irrespirable, irresponsible, irresponsive, irresuscitable, irretentive, irretraceable, irretrievable, irreverence, irreverent, irreversible

Origin of irretentive

First recorded in 1740–50; ir-² + retentive

OTHER WORDS FROM irretentive

ir·re·ten·tive·ness, ir·re·ten·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for irretentive

Such a slag not only corrodes the furnace lining, but also impedes dephosphorization, because it is irretentive of phosphorus.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 7|Various

British Dictionary definitions for irretentive

irretentive

/ (ˌɪrɪˈtɛntɪv) /

adjective

not retentive

Derived forms of irretentive

irretentiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012