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irretentive

[ ir-i-ten-tiv ]
/ ˌɪr ɪˈtɛn tɪv /

adjective

not retentive; lacking power to retain, especially mentally.

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You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?
To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.
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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

Words nearby irretentive

irrespective, irrespirable, irresponsible, irresponsive, irresuscitable, irretentive, irretraceable, irretrievable, irreverence, irreverent, irreversible
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for irretentive

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