Synonyms for retain
rɪˈteɪn

Princeton's WordNet(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. retain(verb)

   hold back within

   "This soil retains water"; "I retain this drug for a long time"; "the dam retains the water"

   Synonyms:
   keep on, continue, keep back, hold back, hold, keep

2. retain, continue, keep, keep on(verb)

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

   "We cannot continue several servants any longer"; "She retains a lawyer"; "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"; "Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on"; "We kept the work going as long as we could"; "She retained her composure"; "this garment retains its shape even after many washings"

   Synonyms:
   go along, keep on, celebrate, remain, stay on, go on, stay, carry on, keep, cover, hold back, save, hold, hold on, persist in, go forward, prevent, keep open, uphold, extend, keep back, proceed, maintain, hold open, restrain, observe, bear on, preserve, sustain, continue, stay fresh

3. retain, hold, keep back, hold back(verb)

   secure and keep for possible future use or application

   "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree"

   Synonyms:
   accommodate, wait, book, withhold, moderate, view as, support, apply, hold back, harbour, defend, take hold, bind, deem, hold up, continue, hold off, take, have, concord, check, make, admit, go for, take for, throw, defy, control, turn back, harbor, keep, obligate, carry, give, adjudge, entertain, forbear, nurse, oblige, curb, hold, conceal, confine, have got, arrest, restrain, withstand, agree, hold in, halt, contain, keep on, concur, maintain, guard, keep back, sustain, prevail, reserve, obtain, declare, stop, bear

4. retain(verb)

   keep in one's mind

   "I cannot retain so much information"

   Synonyms:
   keep on, continue, keep back, hold back, hold, keep

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. retain(verb)

   Synonyms:
   keep

2. retain(verb)

   To keep in possession or use.

   Synonyms:
   keep

3. retain(verb)

   To keep in one's pay or service.

   Synonyms:
   keep

4. retain(verb)

   To employ by paying a retainer.

   Synonyms:
   keep

5. retain(verb)

   To hold secure.

   Synonyms:
   keep

English Synonyms and Antonyms(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. retain

   Keep, signifying generally to have and retain in possession, is the terse, strong Saxon term for many acts which are more exactly discriminated by other words. We keep, observe, or celebrate a festival; we keep or hold a prisoner in custody; we keep or preserve silence, keep the peace, preserve order — preserve being the more formal word; we keep or maintain a horse, a servant, etc.; a man supports his family; we keep or obey a commandment; keep or fulfil a promise. In the expressions to keep a secret, keep one's own counsel, keep faith, or keep the faith, such words as preserve or maintain could not be substituted without loss. A person keeps a shop or store, conducts or carries on a business; he keeps or carries a certain line of goods; we may keep or restrain one from folly, crime, or violence; we keep from or refrain from evil, ourselves. Keep in the sense of guard or defend implies that the defense is effectual. Compare CELEBRATE; RESTRAIN.

   Synonyms:
   carry, carry on, celebrate, conduct, defend, detain, fulfil, guard, hold, keep, maintain, obey, observe, preserve, protect, refrain, restrain, support, sustain, withhold

   Preposition:
   Keep in hand, in mind, in or within the house; from evil; out of mischief; keep to the subject; keep for a person, an occasion, etc.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. retain

   Synonyms:
   keep, hold, restrain

   Antonyms:
   abandon, forfeit, surrender

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. retain(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   hold, keep, reserve, detain, hug, keep back, keep in hand

2. retain(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   engage (by fee paid), hire

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. retain(v)

   Synonyms:
   keep, hold, reserve

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "retain":

   maintain, keep, conserve, preserve, retaining, withhold, retention, reservations, maintaining, sustain, conserving, hold, remain, retains, deduct, reservation, retained, keeping, conservation

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How to use retain in a sentence?

1. Rick Esenberg:

   When you don't have the checks that normally exist at an in-person polling place, this is an effort to retain some valid security.

2. Richard Ji:

   First-tier (technology) names still retain their valuation due to a capital flight to safety.

3. Benjamin Netanyahu:

   Iran must not be allowed to set itself up as a nuclear threshold state, there is no reason for it to retain thousands of centrifuges which would allow it to enrich uranium for a nuclear bomb in a short period of time.

4. Henri-Frédéric Amiel:

   Tears are the symbol of the inability of the soul to restrain its emotion and retain its self command.

5. Eric Trump:

   Like millions of businesses around the globe, we have been forced by Government mandate to temporarily close our hospitality and leisure facilities, and are doing all that we can to retain and support our highly valued staff, the job retention plan created by the UK Government has nothing to do with the Trump Organization and does not benefit the business — it is solely about protecting people and their families who would otherwise be out of work. We are anxiously awaiting the day that we receive approval from the government to reopen our doors and look forward to getting back to business.

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