Retain
To keep possession of something; to continue to have or remember something; to hire or engage a professional service.
verbRetain
To keep possession of something; to continue to have or remember something; to hire or engage a professional service.
verbImagine 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.
Sounds Like
ri-TAIN
Looks Like
contain, maintain
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.
Other Forms
Connect With
keep, preserve, maintain, remember, hire (to retain a lawyer), ownership
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.