definitions

retained object

noun Grammar.

an object in a passive construction identical with the direct or indirect object in the active construction from which it is derived, as the picture in I was shown the picture, which is also the direct object in the active construction (They) showed me the picture.

RELATED CONTENT

Inanimate Objects With Body IssuesRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
What Are Prepositional Phrases?Prepositional phrases are the kinds of things you use all the time without thinking about them. They’re groups of words that begin with a preposition and end with an object. Prepositions are words like about, across, after, for, and in. You’ll see them in simple prepositional phrases, like about zebras, after school, and with friends. Objects of Prepositions When we say object, we mean the …
READ MORE

Nearby words

retailing, retain, retained earnings, retained income, retained menstruation, retained object, retained object complement, retained testis, retainer, retainership, retaining ring

Origin of retained object

First recorded in 1930–35
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for retained object

retained object

noun

grammar a direct or indirect object of a passive verb. The phrase the drawings in the sentence Harry was given the drawings is a retained object
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