retained

[ ri-teynd ]

/ rɪˈteɪnd /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for retained on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not lost, destroyed, released, sold, or given away; kept: The vendor overvalued both the sold 1,790 acres and the retained 566 acres of Green Meadows.

kept in use or practice; continued or preserved: We are proud of the retained traditions of entrepreneurship of our ancestors, their respectful and careful attitude to land and craft.

(of something perceived or learned) remembered or kept in mind: They get taught it in basic training, but without constant practice, land navigation is not a retained skill for the average soldier.

engaged for service, often by payment of a preliminary fee: To apply for this opportunity in confidence, send your resume and remuneration details to the retained consultants, Kirk & Paulson Consulting Ltd., for an initial interview.

kept in check or held in place; held back: On completion of the dam, the retained water was diverted for irrigation via two canals.

Medicine/Medical. kept in the body, especially abnormally; not expelled or eliminated: Three weeks after delivery I was back in the hospital, seriously ill and having a D&C to remove a retained placenta.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of retained

retain + -ed²

OTHER WORDS FROM retained

un·re·tained, adjective

Words nearby retained

retailing, retail politics, retail price index, retail therapy, retain, retained, retained earnings, retained menstruation, retained object, retained object complement, retained testis

How to use retained in a sentence

They’ll cook evenly in one pan, and can get crispy over high heat, though they’ll lose the varied texture they retain when cooked in larger pieces.
A guide to Brussels sprouts: How to choose, store, season and cook the versatile vegetable|Daniela Galarza|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Throughout the company’s history, he retains a sense of urgency — every day on the Internet, he insists, is Day One — and a painstaking focus on customer satisfaction.
Jeff Bezos’s thoughts on Big Business, outer space and The Washington Post|James Ledbetter|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
They retained possession when running back Carlos Hyde recovered a fumble during the drive.
Kyler Murray runs out of miracles as Seahawks hang on to take over first place in NFC West|Mark Maske|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
He retained his defenders, however, among them New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis.
Drew S. Days III, first African American to lead civil rights division at Justice Department, dies at 79|Emily Langer|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

“The personal genetic information is not transferred, retrieved, downloaded, or retained by the genetic genealogy users — including law enforcement,” the DOJ said in a news release last year.
Prince George’s will use DNA registries to solve cold cases through new DOJ grant|Katie Mettler|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Weeks retained an unparalleled legal team, which included bitter political rivals Hamilton and Burr.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The former apprentice engineer retained a lifelong interest in the way things worked.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And Goldin Solutions is not the lone U.S. firm retained by the RDIF.
Exclusive: Did This Manhattan Firm Help Shield a Russian Fund From Sanctions?|Bill Conroy|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once appointed, supreme court nominees stand for election in order to be retained.
And Here Come 2014’s Willie Hortons|Eleanor Clift|November 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Schwend apparently retained one-third of the profits derived from the sale of the counterfeit money.
On the Trail of Nazi Counterfeiters|Dr. Kevin C. Ruffner|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Mrs. Dodd, the present vicar's wife, retained the precious prerogative of choosing the book to be read at the monthly Dorcas.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The people here retained the same paganism and barbarity, only they were not so dangerous, being conquered by the Muscovites.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
Beginners must be warned against mistaking the edges of cells, or particles which have retained the red stain, for bacilli.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Then, also, the cours forcee was declared, and the gold carefully retained in the vaults of the bank.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
Formulas prepared by others are perfectly retained, however, if they are thoroughly assimilated.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)