Vocabulary in context
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Retain
To keep possession of something; to continue to have or remember something; to hire or engage a professional service.
verb💡
Imagine This
A librarian stands before a shelf of rare memory scrolls and chooses to retain a cherished manuscript, keeping it on the shelf instead of lending it out.
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Sounds Like
ri-TAIN
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Looks Like
contain, maintain
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Remember This
Retain means to hold onto something—physically, mentally, or in a professional arrangement (to retain a lawyer). The root 'tain' relates to holding.
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Other Forms
retainsverb
retainedverb
retainingverb
retentionnoun
retainernoun
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Connect With
keep, preserve, maintain, remember, hire (to retain a lawyer), ownership
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Note
Use retain when you mean to keep or maintain possession, memory, or ongoing engagement. It is not used for casual 'getting' or for meanings that imply giving up or losing something. Beware confusing retainer (a fee or a person hired) with retainer meaning memory or possession.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The company will retain ownership of the patent.
- Students must try to retain key information from lectures.
Synonyms
keeppreservemaintainhold ontosecure
Antonyms
loserelinquishdiscard
Etymology
From Latin retinere 'to hold back', from re- 'back' + tenere 'to hold'. The word entered English in the 14th century.
Mnemonic
RE-TAIN: Remember Everything And Keep It Nearby.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abandon
verbTo give up completely, to desert or leave behind, or to relinquish a claim, plan, or responsibility.
Abate
verbTo decrease in amount or intensity; to reduce or end something.
Abolish
verbTo formally end or repeal a system, practice, or institution; to officially put an end to something established.
Abridge
verbTo shorten (a text, speech, or other work) by omitting parts; to condense.
Abscond
verbTo depart secretly or flee, especially to avoid detection or arrest.
Absolve
verbTo free someone from blame or responsibility; to pardon or exonerate.
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