retain

[ri-teyn]

verb (used with object)

1. to keep possession of.

   Synonyms: preserve, hold
   Antonyms: lose, loose

2. to continue to use, practice, etc..

   to retain an old custom.

3. to continue to hold or have.

   to retain a prisoner in custody; a cloth that retains its color.

4. to keep in mind; remember.

   Antonyms: forget

5. to hold in place or position.

6. to engage, especially by payment of a preliminary fee.

   to retain a lawyer.

7. Medicine/Medical.,  to keep in the body, especially abnormally; fail to eliminate.

   I was referred to a specialty clinic and they discovered that I was retaining urine.

retain

/ rɪˈteɪn /

verb

1. to keep in one's possession

2. to be able to hold or contain

   soil that retains water

3. (of a person) to be able to remember (information, facts, etc) without difficulty

4. to hold in position

5. to keep for one's future use, as by paying a retainer or nominal charge

   to retain one's rooms for the holidays

6. law to engage the services of (a barrister) by payment of a preliminary fee

7. (in selling races) to buy back a winner that one owns when it is auctioned after the race

8. (of racehorse trainers) to pay an advance fee to (a jockey) so as to have prior or exclusive claims upon his services throughout the season

Other Word Forms

• retainable adjective
• retainability noun
• retainableness noun
• retainment noun
• nonretainable adjective
• nonretainment noun
• unretainable adjective
• unretaining adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of retain¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English reteinen, from Old French retenir, from Latin retinēre “to hold back, hold fast,” equivalent to re- re- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre “to hold”

Word History and Origins

Origin of retain¹

C14: from Old French retenir , from Latin retinēre to hold back, from _re- + tenēre to hold

Synonym Study

See keep.

Example Sentences

It’s in Strategy’s interest to pay preferred dividends even if it has to sell Bitcoin so that it can retain access to what has become an important funding source.

Read more on Barron's

Live sports, the most valuable content on TV, are a big draw for media companies as they seek to attract and retain audiences and boost advertising revenue.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Dutch East pioneered dividends, allowing some capital to be retained and recycled.

Read more on Barron's

"The finish of the product is much better, there's no smoke, no uneven heating, and the pods retain their natural green colour. That's very important because colour decides the price."

Read more on BBC

Cracker Barrel shareholders voted to retain the company’s embattled chief executive after a calamitous rebranding campaign, but chose to dump one of the chain’s board members.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• absorb 
• cling to www.thesaurus.com
• contain 
• enjoy 
• have 
• hold 
• keep 
• maintain 
• own 
• possess 
• preserve 
• recognize