Retain

Pronunciation: /rɪˈteɪn/

Definitions of retain

verb to continue to have or hold; to keep in possession or use

Example Sentences

A1 I need to retain this information for my exam.

A2 It is important to retain good study habits for academic success.

B1 Employees are required to retain all important documents for auditing purposes.

B2 The company must retain a certain level of profit in order to stay in business.

C1 It is crucial for leaders to retain the trust of their team members.

C2 The artist was able to retain her unique style while experimenting with new techniques.

Examples of retain in a Sentence

formal It is important for the company to retain its top talent in order to remain competitive.

informal I hope you can retain all the information I'm about to tell you.

slang I'm trying to retain my cool, but this situation is really frustrating.

figurative Sometimes it's best to let go of the past rather than trying to retain every memory.

Grammatical Forms of retain

• past tense: retained
• plural: retains
• comparative: more retain
• superlative: most retain
• present tense: retain
• future tense: will retain
• perfect tense: have retained
• continuous tense: is retaining
• singular: retains
• positive degree: retain
• infinitive: to retain
• gerund: retaining
• participle: retained

Origin and Evolution of retain

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'retain' originated from the Old French word 'retenir' which came from the Latin word 'retinere', meaning 'to hold back'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'retain' has evolved to not only mean 'to hold back', but also 'to keep possession of', 'to employ', or 'to hire'.