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Definition of "retain" []

  • To maintain possession of. See Synonyms at keep. (verb-transitive)
  • To keep or hold in a particular place, condition, or position. (verb-transitive)
  • To keep in mind; remember. (verb-transitive)
  • To hire (an attorney, for example) by the payment of a fee. (verb-transitive)
  • To keep in one's service or pay. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "retain" in a sentence
  • "But when half the drivers on the road are "car thieves," does the term retain its meaning?"
  • "I read over 100 books a year, and what I retain is usually the general storyline and my impression of the characters."
  • "While Ariel worked on the page designs, we talked about the content – what to retain from the old site, what to add and what to discard."