Finesentence logo

Retain: meaning, definitions and examples

🔒
Add to dictionary

retain

 

[ rɪˈteɪn ]

Verb / Noun
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Verb

memory

To keep or continue to have something; to hold onto something; to remember something.

Synonyms

hold on to, keep, maintain, preserve, remember

Examples of usage

  • He tried to retain the information for the exam.
  • She struggled to retain her composure in front of the audience.
  • We need to retain our customers by providing excellent service.
  • They decided to retain the original design for the building.
  • The key to retaining information is through practice.
Context #2 | Verb

legal

To keep someone in a particular position or place; to employ someone on a permanent basis.

Synonyms

appoint, employ, engage, hire

Examples of usage

  • The company decided to retain him as their legal counsel.
  • She was retained as a consultant for the project.
Context #3 | Noun

business

The act of keeping something in one's possession; the ability to keep customers, employees, or members.

Synonyms

keeping, loyalty, maintenance, preservation

Examples of usage

  • Customer retention is crucial for the success of any business.
  • The company focused on employee retention by offering competitive benefits.

Translations

Translations of the word "retain" in other languages:

🇵🇹 reter

🇮🇳 रखना

🇩🇪 behalten

🇮🇩 menahan

🇺🇦 зберігати

🇵🇱 zachować

🇯🇵 保持する（ほじする）

🇫🇷 retenir

🇪🇸 retener

🇹🇷 tutmak

🇰🇷 유지하다

🇸🇦 احتفظ

🇨🇿 udržet

🇸🇰 udržať

🇨🇳 保留 (bǎoliú)

🇸🇮 ohraniti

🇮🇸 halda

🇰🇿 сақтау

🇬🇪 შენახვა

🇦🇿 saxlamaq

🇲🇽 retener

Word origin

The word 'retain' originated from the Latin word 'retinere', meaning 'to hold back'. It entered the English language in the late 14th century. Over the centuries, 'retain' has evolved to encompass various meanings related to holding, keeping, and remembering. It has been widely used in legal, business, and everyday contexts to denote the act of preserving, maintaining, or continuing to possess something.

See also: retained, retaining, retention, unretained.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,207, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.