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retain
[ ri-teyn ]
verb (used with object)
- to keep possession of.
- to continue to use, practice, etc.:
to retain an old custom.
- to continue to hold or have:
to retain a prisoner in custody; a cloth that retains its color.
- to keep in mind; remember.
Antonyms: forget
- to hold in place or position.
- to engage, especially by payment of a preliminary fee:
to retain a lawyer.
- 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
- to keep in one's possession
- to be able to hold or contain
soil that retains water
- (of a person) to be able to remember (information, facts, etc) without difficulty
- to hold in position
- to keep for one's future use, as by paying a retainer or nominal charge
to retain one's rooms for the holidays
- law to engage the services of (a barrister) by payment of a preliminary fee
- (in selling races) to buy back a winner that one owns when it is auctioned after the race
- (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
Derived Forms
- reˈtainment, noun
- reˈtainable, adjective
Other Words From
- re·tain·a·ble adjective
- re·tain·a·bil·i·ty [ri-tey-n, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], re·tain·a·ble·ness noun
- re·tain·ment noun
- non·re·tain·a·ble adjective
- non·re·tain·ment noun
- un·re·tain·a·ble adjective
- un·re·tain·ing adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of retain1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
He successfully leveraged skepticism about the system to aid his own ambitions to retain power.
The one thing that you have to retain is being able to celebrate you and your achievements, not as contrasted to anybody else’s.
He legally retains authority over much of her day-to-day life, though he temporarily stepped away from that role in 2019.
This allows the cheese to retain its moisture and results in that smooth, Velveeta-like texture we love so much.
Researchers seem to agree that as children’s ability to retain memories emerges, their ability to recall particular events is increased when adults talk to them about what they experienced after the fact.
And despite the good scholarship the authors have managed to retain the buoyancy and upbeat air attendant on most comics.
Now both breweries are fighting to retain their half of the cake.
We still retain the 27 November habit, through sheer gluttony more than anything else.
Canada and the United States are the only industrialized countries that retain birthright citizenship.
Rohrabacher though did retain the bottle for official use in his Washington, D.C. office.
Still the King managed to retain his popularity, and in his own way attempted to ameliorate the lot of his subjects.
The latter, on his side, was anxious to retain Massna's affections, and at once offered him the command of the Army of Italy.
Since he died from cancer in the stomach, he could retain very little food.
Few students master these attachments thoroughly, and those who do, fail to retain them long.
They know where to find the coveted knowledge, but they do not possess it or retain it in their minds.
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