retain

American  

[ri-teyn] / rɪˈteɪn /

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.

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retain British  

/ 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

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Related Words

See keep.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of retain

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”

Explanation

Retain means to hold on to or keep. People who can retain a lot of information are often mistaken for geniuses, but really they just have very good memories. To retain is to keep or maintain, whether in mind, possession or a certain condition. If you have a great personal assistant, you'll probably want to retain him for as long as you can. If your body is retaining water you might look a little plump. The verbs restrain and detain sound similar, but they mean to keep something by force.

Example Sentences

López believes this has pushed some attorneys not to pursue certain cases while also driving up the cost to retain an immigration attorney.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

It would retain its title as the world’s tallest building until the 1930s when the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings were constructed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

However, if is to retain his title, he has to do what none of the 20 previous first-time Crucible winners has done and win the tournament again the following year.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

"This creates a mismatch driven by basic geometry and physics because bigger bodies retain heat more effectively, and in mesotherms, high metabolic rates amplify this effect."

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

The smallest part of Rowan’s day, just before dinner, was spent in book learning—but Rowan found that the mental training helped him retain the things he learned without the repetition of study.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• absorb
• cling to
• contain
• enjoy
• have
• hold
• keep
• maintain
• own
• possess
• preserve
• recognize