retention

[ ri-ten-shuh n ]

/ rɪˈtɛn ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR retention ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of retaining.

the state of being retained.

the power to retain; capacity for retaining.

the act or power of remembering things; memory.

Nearby words

Origin of retention

1350–1400; Middle English retencion < Latin retentiōn- (stem of retentiō) a keeping back, equivalent to retent(us) (past participle of retinēre to retain) + -iōn- -ion

Related formsnon·re·ten·tion, nouno·ver·re·ten·tion, noun

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

Examples from the Web for retention

But this was an element of Jeff that I understood; his mimicry and his retention for music and melody.
‘Greetings From Tim Buckley’: Penn Badgley on Playing Late Musician Jeff Buckley|Richard Porton|April 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It's also not simply that they want teacher promotion and retention to be tied to seniority, not test results.
Rahm Stands Up To Teacher Union Bullies|David Frum|September 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In this position and as chair of compensation, he also authorized the retention of outside advisers.
Herman Cain's Aquila Dealings Undercut His Business-Acumen Claims|Wayne Barrett|November 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
His retention may indicate any federal case could revolve around more than the perjury and obstruction charges.
Could Blankfein Face Prison?|Nomi Prins|August 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST

He considers demonstrated interest important for two key reasons: yield and retention.
College Admissions' Secret Strategy|Marc Zawel|September 26, 2010|DAILY BEAST
One of the privileges granted in the terms of surrender was the retention, by officers and cavalrymen, of their own horses.
The Story of a Cannoneer Under Stonewall Jackson|Edward A. Moore
Knowledge by rote is no knowledge, it is only a retention of what has been intrusted to the memory.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources|James Wood
For upon the retention of these ancient realities future human sanity and wholeness may well depend.
The Nation's River|United States Department of the Interior
The first factor, power of retention, is the most fundamental and to some extent limits the usefulness of the other two.
How to Teach|George Drayton Strayer and Naomi Norsworthy
Its retention, however, is not inconsistent with very great changes in the present political and economic arrangements.
The Principles of Economics|Frank A. Fetter

British Dictionary definitions for retention

retention

/ (rɪˈtɛnʃən) /

noun

the act of retaining or state of being retained

the capacity to hold or retain liquid

the capacity to remember

pathol the abnormal holding within the body of urine, faeces, etc, that are normally excreted

commerce a sum of money owed to a contractor but not paid for an agreed period as a safeguard against any faults found in the work carried out

(plural) accounting profits earned by a company but not distributed as dividends; retained earnings

Word Origin for retention

C14: from Latin retentiō, from retinēre to retain

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 retention

retention

late 14c., from Latin retentionem (nominative retentio) "a retaining, a holding back," noun of action from past participle stem of retinere (see retain). Originally medical; mental sense is from late 15c.

Medicine definitions for retention

retention

[ rĭ-tĕn′shən ]

n.

Involuntary withholding by the body of wastes or secretions that are normally eliminated.

The holding by the body of what normally belongs in it, such as food in the stomach.

An ability to recall or recognize what has been learned or experienced; memory.

In dentistry, a period following orthodontic treatment when a patient wears an appliance or appliances to stabilize the teeth in their new position.

retention

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of retention

Examples from the Web for retention

retention

noun

Word Origin for retention

retention

retention

n.