retained
Americanadjective
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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.
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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.
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(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.
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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.
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kept in check or held in place; held back.
On completion of the dam, the retained water was diverted for irrigation via two canals.
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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.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of retained
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Information carried by a rapidly moving light wave can be transferred to much slower sound waves, where it is temporarily retained, and then converted back into light.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
Amanda Serrano retained her WBA and WBO featherweight belts with a narrow majority decision over Argentina's Lucrecia Manzur in the first world title fight to be streamed live on TikTok.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Built in 1953, the home has retained the charm of its original details alongside the benefit of modern improvements.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
CD&R committed $400 million in fresh capital and took a haircut on the debt it acquired, but retained control despite the bankruptcy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Short and slightly stooped, she retained an exotic beauty.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
