retention
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
retention
- /ɹɪˈtɛnʃən/
Where it comes from
From Middle English retencioun, borrowed from Latin retentiō, retentiōnis, from retentus, the perfect passive participle of retineō (“retain”) (from re- (“back, again”) + teneō (“hold, keep”)).
noun retentions
- The act of retaining or something retained. No woman's heart / So big, to hold so much; they lack retention.
- The act or power of remembering things.
- Memory; what is retained in the mind. "Still," Suit echoed. "The way she handles the gun jamming." Suit shook their head in admiration. "Tap, rack, bang, without hesitation. That's extraordinary retention."
- The involuntary withholding of urine and faeces.
- The length of time a patient remains in treatment.
- That which contains something, as a tablet; a means of preserving impressions. Thy gift, thy tables, are within my brain Full character’d with lasting memory, […] That poor retention could not so much hold, Nor need I tallies thy dear love to score;
- The act of withholding; restraint; reserve. His life I gave him, and did thereto add / My love without retention or restraint,
- A place of custody or confinement.
- The right to withhold a debt, or of retaining property until a debt due to the person claiming the right is duly paid; a lien. The right of retention, which bears a near resemblance to compensation, is chiefly competent where the mutual debts, not being liquid, cannot be the ground of compensation
- The portion of a potential damage that must be paid for by the holder of an insurance policy.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: retentivity, retentiveness, keeping, memory, holding, retainer, retaining, retain, maintain, reserve, keep, sustain, stay, sustaining, sustainment, holder
Translations
Every language
noun the act of retaining or something retained
| Español | retención |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 留用 |
| Français | rétention |
| Deutsch | Zurückhaltung |
| Italiano | conservazione |
| Română | reținere, retenție |
| Русский | удержа́ние uderžánije, удержива́ние uderživánije, сохране́ние soxranénije |
noun the act or power of remembering things; memory
| Español | retentiva |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Erinnerung, Behalten |
| Română | memorare, reținere (în memorie) |
| Русский | сохране́ние в па́мяти soxranénije v pámjati |
| العربية | حِفْظ ḥifẓ |
noun a memory
| Español | recuerdo |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Erinnerung |
| Română | memorie, amintire |
| Русский | па́мять pámjatʹ |
| العربية | ذَاكِرَة ḏākira |
noun the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces
| Español | retención |
|---|---|
| Français | rétention |
| Deutsch | Verhalt |
| Italiano | ritenzione |
| Русский | задержа́ние zaderžánije, удержа́ние uderžánije |
| العربية | أُسْر ʔusr |
noun right to retain property until a debt is paid
| Français | droit de rétention |
|---|
Talk about this word "retention." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/retention. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. retention. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/retention "retention." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/retention.Cite this
@misc{retention_2026,
title = {retention},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/retention},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
