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 synonyms:

1. List of paraphrases:

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

How to pronounce retain?

Alex

US English

Daniel

British

Karen

Australian

Veena

Indian

How to say retain in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use retain in a sentence?

1. Mary Wortley Montagu:

   Prudent people are very happy 'tis an exceeding fine thing, that's certain, but I was born without it, and shall retain to my day of Death the Humour of saying what I think.

2. Edward Houghton:

   Today, if you retire at 60, you're likely to live for at least another 20 years, so you probably need to retain some exposure to growth via equity markets, at least initially, and then later on you may choose to annuitise, or look for a form of guaranteed return.

3. Jon Marinelli:

   The decision becomes do you hold your nose and sell, or do you retain the asset.

4. Anuj Somany:

   A sane can’t entertain a woman as his wife/ girlfriend and retain long a job in any organisation as the same man can't kneel down before them & beg apology even for the faults not done by him only.

5. Abraham Lincoln:

   While the people retain their virtue, and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government, in the short space of four years.

Images & Illustrations of retain