Retain
To keep possession of or continue to have something; and to remember or recall information learned.
verbRetain
To keep possession of or continue to have something; and to remember or recall information learned.
verbImagine This
Picture a student studying for a big exam. After hours of review, she closes her notes and feels confident because she retained most of the material, both in her desk and in her memory.
Sounds Like
ri-TEYN
Looks Like
contain (shares the same -tain ending), similar to maintain
Remember This
Retain is about both possession and memory. A dental retainer is a handy cue: it holds teeth in place just as retain holds onto knowledge or belongings.
Other Forms
Connect With
keep, hold onto, preserve, remember, maintain
Note
Use retain with a direct object (retain possession, retain memory, retain records). Do not confuse with 'obtain' or 'detain'. The noun form is retention; the adjective form is retentive.