retain

[ri-teyn]

SEE MORE 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.

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

Related formsre·tain·a·ble, adjectivere·tain·a·bil·i·ty, re·tain·a·ble·ness, nounre·tain·ment, nounnon·re·tain·a·ble, adjectivenon·re·tain·ment, nounun·re·tain·a·ble, adjectiveun·re·tained, adjectiveun·re·tain·ing, adjective

Synonyms for retain

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR retain ON THESAURUS.COM

1. hold, preserve. See keep.

Antonyms for retain

1. loose, lose. 4. forget.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for retained

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

Examples from the Web for retained

Contemporary Examples of retained

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
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
He retained a deep attachment to his mother, Judie McCain, and posted a photo of her on Facebook.
American Jihadis Douglas McCain and Troy Kastigar: From Losers to Martyrs
Michael Daly
August 28, 2014
Although she is now an American citizen, Coles has retained an English sense of journalism.
Joanna Coles: Why Cosmopolitan Does Sexy and Serious So Well
Lloyd Grove
August 22, 2014
On the other hand, he has retained an attribute reminiscent of the other ex-fundies.
Frank Schaeffer, the Atheist Who Believes in God
Nick Tabor
August 3, 2014

Historical Examples of retained

Anaxagoras retained his usual bland expression and meek dignity.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
I adopted the name "Thompson," from my new master, which I have since retained.
Biography of a Slave
Charles Thompson
Fruits and vegetables should have retained their natural color.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 5
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Burke retained his manner of serene indifference to the other's agitation.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
We keep the Chitral road open because we have retained Chitral.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill

British Dictionary definitions for retained

retain

verb (tr)

to keep in one's possession

to be able to hold or containsoil 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 chargeto 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 Formsretainable, 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

Word Origin and History for retained

retain

late 14c., "hold back, restrain;" c.1400, "continue keeping, keep possession of," from Old French retenir "keep, retain; take into feudal service; hold back; remember" (12c.), from Latin retinere "hold back, keep back, detain, restrain," from re- "back" (see re-) + tenere "to hold" (see tenet). Meaning "keep (another) attached to one's person, keep in service" is from mid-15c.; specifically of lawyers from 1540s. Meaning "keep in the mind" is from c.1500. Related: Retained; retaining.