retention

[ri-ten-shuh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR retention ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state of being retained.

the power to retain; capacity for retaining.

the act or power of remembering things; memory.

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

Related Words for retention

withholding, detention, detainment, confinement, holding, reservation, remembrance, recall, recollection, recognition, remembering, memory

Examples from the Web for retention

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
He considers demonstrated interest important for two key reasons: yield and retention.
College Admissions' Secret Strategy
Marc Zawel
September 26, 2010

Historical Examples of retention

He pleaded eloquently for the retention of the small boroughs.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
The most marked incident in that policy has been the retention of Chitral.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
The purpose of education is "adaptation,—with the retention of adaptability."
College Teaching
Paul Klapper
The hind-quarters should be raised as high as possible, in order to favor its retention.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings
The retention and constant enlargement of the public domain.
Socialism As It Is
William English Walling

British Dictionary definitions for retention

retention

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

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.

retention in Medicine

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.