Library / English Dictionary

RETAIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Keep in one's mind

Example:

I cannot retain so much information

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "retain" is one way to...):

remember; think of (keep in mind for attention or consideration)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They won't retain the story

Derivation:

retention (the power of retaining and recalling past experience)

retentive (good at remembering)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Secure and keep for possible future use or application

Example:

I reserve the right to disagree

Synonyms:

hold; hold back; keep back; retain

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "retain" is one way to...):

hold on; keep (retain possession of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "retain"):

hold down (keep)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

retention (the act of retaining something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature

Example:

this garment retains its shape even after many washings

Synonyms:

continue; keep; keep on; retain

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "retain" is one way to...):

keep up; prolong; sustain (lengthen or extend in duration or space)

Verb group:

continue; persist in (do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Hold back within

Example:

the dam retains the water

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "retain" is one way to...):

bear; carry; contain; hold (contain or hold; have within)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

retentive (good at remembering)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Selectively retained in tumor vessels for long periods, ethiodized oil is used for imaging organs such as liver, lung, stomach, and thyroid.

(Ethiodized oil, NCI Thesaurus)

No one has any reason to retain it.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I retained the pictures and I found their interpretation.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He still retained sufficient use of his left arm to do this.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

During this process the variable coding region of the heavy chain remains unchanged, thus retaining antigen specificity.

(Immunoglobulin Class Switch Recombination, NCI Thesaurus)

Until it sets to-night, that monster must retain whatever form he now has.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

A peptide resembling the complementary determining region of an antibody and retaining its specificity.

(Miniantibody, NCI Thesaurus)

At 246 miles (396 kilometers) wide, Mimas is too small to have retained internal heat from its formation, so some other source of energy would be required to maintain an underground ocean.

(Saturn Moon May Hide a 'Fossil' Core or an Ocean, NASA)

It refers to three-dimensional cultures of undisaggregated tissue retaining some or all of the histological features of the tissue in vivo.

(Organ Culture, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

But I retain your services, Mr. Holmes.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)