Dictionary

retention en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɹɪˈtɛnʃən/

Etymology

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”)).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of retaining or something retained.
   • No woman's heart / So big, to hold so much; they lack retention. c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv], page 95:
2. (countable, uncountable) The act or power of remembering things.
3. (countable, uncountable) 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." 2015 March 25, thedeadlymoose, “The Seed of an Idea”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 01 Dec 2024:
4. (countable, uncountable) The involuntary withholding of urine and faeces.
5. (countable, uncountable) The length of time a patient remains in treatment.
6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) 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; 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 122”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:
7. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The act of withholding; restraint; reserve.
   • His life I gave him, and did thereto add / My love without retention or restraint, c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 79:
8. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A place of custody or confinement.
9. (countable, uncountable) 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 1754, John Erskine of Carnock, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
10. (countable, uncountable) The portion of a potential damage that must be paid for by the holder of an insurance policy.

Forms

Deriveds

lake retention time · retention time · irretention · nonretention · gastroretention · retention line · bioretention · colour retention agent · retention pond · retentionist · silver retention · retention basin · retention tank · hydraulic retention time · retentional · deposit interest retention tax · overretention

Translations (65)

ro reținere (în memorie) (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · ga coinneáil (the act of retaining or something retained) · es retención (the act of retaining or something retained) · ru сохране́ние (the act of retaining or something retained) · nl retentie (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · fr rétention (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · de Verhalt (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · nl herinneringsvermogen (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · ro reținere (the act of retaining or something retained) · bg задържане (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · es recuerdo (a memory) · ru сохране́ние в па́мяти (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · de Erinnerung (a memory) · fr droit de rétention (right to retain property until a debt is paid) · ru задержа́ние (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · it conservazione (the act of retaining or something retained) · fi umpi (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · ar ذَاكِرَة (a memory) · de Behalten (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · fi omavastuu (portion of any potiential damage that must be paid for by the holder of an insurance policy) · nl memorie (a memory) · fi pidätysoikeus (right to withhold a debt) · ms penahanan (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · da fastholdelse (the act of retaining or something retained) · ro memorare (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · fi muistaminen (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · et säilitamine (the act of retaining or something retained) · da erindring (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · uk зберігання (the act of retaining or something retained) · ru па́мять (a memory) · nl herinnering (a memory) · fi pidätysoikeus (right to retain property until a debt is paid) · id retensi (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · ro retenție (the act of retaining or something retained) · es retención (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · ar حِفْظ (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · nl vasthouding (the act of retaining or something retained) · de Erinnerung (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · ru удержа́ние (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · nl geheugen (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · pl pamięć (a memory) · nl memorie (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · fi muisto (a memory) · ro memorie (a memory) · fi säilyttäminen (the act of retaining or something retained) · ru удержива́ние (the act of retaining or something retained) · es retentiva (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · bg задържане (the act of retaining or something retained) · bg запомняне (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · fi ummetus (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · fr rétention (the act of retaining or something retained) · cmn 留用 (the act of retaining or something retained) · bg памет (a memory) · uk утримання (the act of retaining or something retained) · nl retentie (the act of retaining or something retained) · ar أُسْر (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · ru удержа́ние (the act of retaining or something retained) · nl retentievermogen (the act or power of remembering things; memory) · da selvrisiko (portion of any potiential damage that must be paid for by the holder of an insurance policy) · ro amintire (a memory) · da erindring (a memory) · da minde (a memory) · it ritenzione (the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces) · de Zurückhaltung (the act of retaining or something retained) · uk зберігання в пам’яті (the act or power of remembering things; memory)