Link Centre Dictionary

retain

re·tain

UK/ɹɪˈteɪn/ US/ɹəˈteɪn/ fairly common

verb

1.

hold within

  • “This soil retains water”
  • “I retain this drug for a long time”
2.

allow to remain in a place or position

  • “We cannot continue several servants any longer”
  • “She retains a lawyer”
  • “The family”
  • “;”
  • “;”
Synonyms
3.

secure and keep for possible future use or application

  • “The landlord retained the security deposit”
  • “I reserve the right to disagree”
Synonyms
4.

keep in one''s mind

  • “I cannot retain so much information”

Origin

From Late Middle English reteinen, retein (“to continue to keep, retain; to continue to possess; to possess; to contain; to draw back, retire; to hold back, restrain; to keep in mind, remember; to take back, repossess; to appoint; to engage in one’s service, employ, hire”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman reteiner, retenir [and other forms], Middle French retenir, and Old French retenir (“to keep back, retain; to keep, maintain, preserve; to possess; to engage in one’s service, employ; to detain; to hold back, restrain; to remember”) (modern French retenir), from Vulgar Latin *retinīre, from Latin retinēre, the present active infinitive of retineō (“to keep or hold back, detain, retain; to hold in check, stop; to hold fast, maintain; to keep in mind, remember”) (compare Late Latin retineō (“to keep engaged in one’s service”)), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) + teneō (“to grasp, hold; to hold fast, restrain; to possess; to keep in mind, remember”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to extend, stretch”)). Etymology 1 sense 1.10 (“to declare (a sin) not forgiven”) is derived from John 20:23 in the Bible, in Late Latin quorum retinueritis, retenta sunt, and in Koine ...

Phrases

  • retain and explain

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.