retention

American  

[ri-ten-shuhn] / rɪˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

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

• nonretention noun
• overretention noun

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”; retain ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

The company said it expects the program to increase visit frequency, improve retention, and attract new customers over time.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, a jurisdiction that does not have mandatory data retention laws and is well outside the Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

The materials must be sealed and then destroyed at the end of the retention period.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

The Education Workforce Council said recruiting and keeping teachers in the profession was a worldwide problem and retention levels were "relatively stable" at the moment.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

Larger ones tended to have more powerful chiefs, more ranks of chiefly lineages, greater distinctions between chiefs and commoners, more retention of tribute by the chiefs, more layers of bureaucrats, and grander public architecture.

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