retain

[ ri-teyn ]
/ rɪˈteɪn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR retain ON THESAURUS.COM

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.
to hold in place or position.
to engage, especially by payment of a preliminary fee: to retain a lawyer.

QUIZZES

QUIZ TIME: TEST YOUR MEMORY OF THE MAY 2020 WORDS OF THE DAY

Let the aeolian gusts transport you back to these popular Words of the Day from the month of May. How many do you remember?
Question 1 of 10
Which of the following words means “to travel or journey, especially to walk on foot”?
hightail
peregrinate
perpetrate
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of retain

1350–1400; Middle English reteinen < Old French retenir < Latin retinēre to hold back, hold fast, equivalent to re- re- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre to hold

OTHER WORDS FROM retain

Words nearby retain

retail, retail politics, retail price index, retail therapy, retailing, retain, retained earnings, retained income, retained menstruation, retained object, retained object complement
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to retained

received, saved, maintained, reserved, withheld, remembered, possessed, owned, restrained, held, included, confined, sustained, had, contained, treasured, secured, chosen, selected, engaged

Example sentences from the Web for retained

British Dictionary definitions for retained

retain
/ (rɪˈteɪn) /

verb (tr)

Derived forms of retain

retainable, adjectiveretainment, noun

Word Origin for retain

C14: from Old French retenir, from Latin retinēre to hold back, from re- + tenēre to hold
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012