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retain

[ ri-teyn ]
/ rɪˈteɪn /
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See synonyms for: retain / retained / retaining on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
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Origin of retain

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English reteinen, from Old French retenir, from Latin retinēre “to hold back, hold fast,” equivalent to re- re- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre “to hold”

synonym study for retain

1. See keep.

OTHER WORDS FROM retain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use retain in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for retain

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
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