retention

American  

[ri-ten-shuhn] / rɪˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

retentions plural

1. the act of retaining.

2. the state of being retained.

3. the power to retain; capacity for retaining.

4. the act or power of remembering things; memory.

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retention British  

/ rɪˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of retaining or state of being retained

2. the capacity to hold or retain liquid

3. the capacity to remember

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

5. 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

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

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Usage

What is retention? Retention is the act of retaining, that is, holding onto or keeping possession of something, as in Kim noted the plant’s successful retention of water. Retention is also used to refer to the state of being retained or having the power to retain something, as in The lawyer was outraged by the police’s continued retention of his client. Retention can also mean that something or someone has the power to retain things, especially a person’s ability to retain information in their memory, as in Weekly testing is done to improve students’ retention of what they have learned. Example: Justine worked hard to improve the retention of skilled employees at her company.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonretention
  noun
• overretention
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• retentions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of retention

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English retencion, from Latin retentiōn-, stem of retentiō “restraint, withholding,” from retent(us) “held back” (past participle of retinēre “to hold back”; see retain) + -iō -ion

Explanation

You can use retention to mean the ability to keep or hold. If you have extraordinary powers of retention, you remember everything you hear or learn. Are your ankles ever swollen after a long flight? This comes from the lack of movement which can cause the retention of water. The roots of the word, Latin re- "back" and tenere "to hold," say it all. You often use the word in the military or business contexts to talk about keeping soldiers, or employees, from leaving. If you're lucky, they might offer you a retention bonus to prevent you from quitting.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

retention retentions

She said UC’s own research showed retention rates have remained stable and graduation rates have risen since the system went test-free.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

"It's been a big factor in retention, and certainly a fluid border is going to make life much easier," he told AFP, calling it "very, very positive".

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Millions more would likely flow into the state’s judicial races should the amendment pass, as competitive elections tend to attract more spending than retention elections.

From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026

Much of that money has been earmarked for recruiting and retention, and the agency announced this week that it has surpassed 21,000 agents for the first time since its founding in 1924.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Sheep and alpacas were selected for retention of wool and reduction or loss of hair, while cows have been selected for high milk yields.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Earlier this month, Kluska was much more optimistic about the trials after meeting with Mereo management, who were “very pleased” with trial retentions.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025

Sides who have not utilised their six retentions are given Right-to-Match cards to use at the Mega Auction, which means some players could still be retained.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2024

He said his plan includes an increase in “investment in recruitment and retentions to rebuild our ranks and revitalize morale,” and pledged to reorganize the agency to create more opportunities for advancement.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 31, 2023

The whistleblower said the purpose of the retentions department, which he worked in, was to “squeeze the money” from clients until they were down to “the last cent”.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 1, 2020

Amongst the more important retentions of tactical signals we find that for Hoste's method of giving battle to a numerically superior force by leaving gaps in your own line between van, centre and rear.

From Fighting Instructions, 1530-1816 Publications Of The Navy Records Society Vol. XXIX. by Corbett, Julian S. (Julian Stafford)