1
as in kept
to continue to have in one's possession or power
I plan to retain the family heirlooms until my own children are mature enough to appreciate them, and then I will lovingly pass them on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in owned
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
that author retains the right to veto any changes in his books suggested by his publisher's notoriously intrusive editor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in employed
to provide with a paying job
her neighbor retained her as a nanny for the summer, thus giving her something to do until school started again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retained
Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Producers hold onto their rights and their IP and the value from our spend is retained in the UK, not across the Atlantic.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2025
He was then retained by Steichen for the past two years, but the team’s statistical slide on defense resulted in his firing.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
County Attorney Scott McClure was retained for 2025.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
Indianapolis came up one win short of the playoffs and Bradley was retained for a third season.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
The rest is retained by the agency, to pay its coordinators, translators and legal advisers, and the clinics that oversee the fertilization and pregnancy.
—Lili Rutai, The Dial, 7 Jan. 2025
President Jim Biggs, of the North District, retained his office after Morales nominated him, and Vice President Barb Regnitz, of the Center District, seconded the motion.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
Alabama retained almost the entirety of its starters from last season, and Smith appears to be a budding star after a strong end to the 2024 season.
—Kennington Smith Iii, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
Leicester have retained their former men’s training ground, Belvoir Drive, just outside the city centre, which is situated in a housing estate, and there is so far no information on the Land Registry of a sale.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Producers hold onto their rights and their IP and the value from our spend is retained in the UK, not across the Atlantic.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2025
He was then retained by Steichen for the past two years, but the team’s statistical slide on defense resulted in his firing.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
County Attorney Scott McClure was retained for 2025.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
Indianapolis came up one win short of the playoffs and Bradley was retained for a third season.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
The rest is retained by the agency, to pay its coordinators, translators and legal advisers, and the clinics that oversee the fertilization and pregnancy.
—Lili Rutai, The Dial, 7 Jan. 2025
President Jim Biggs, of the North District, retained his office after Morales nominated him, and Vice President Barb Regnitz, of the Center District, seconded the motion.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
Alabama retained almost the entirety of its starters from last season, and Smith appears to be a budding star after a strong end to the 2024 season.
—Kennington Smith Iii, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained
Adjective
-
Based on the William Peter Blatty novel of the same name, the story centers on a possessed young girl named Regan (Blair) and the two Catholic priests who perform an exorcism to rid Regan of the demon that has taken over her body.—
Diana Pearl,
People.com,
2 Mar. 2025
-
In a possessed rush, Tyler storms up the stairwell, down the corridor and enters the bedroom to tackle Ryan, who has already killed one of Chloe’s friends and staged it as an overdose.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
While the Saints' offense has struggled to light up the scoreboard, their defense has kept them competitive.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
24 Dec. 2024
-
This marks a disappointing end to a season that has been marred by injuries, including Trent Williams' ankle injury, which has kept him out for the past four games.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The two properties that burned this year are both owned by the City of San Jose, public property documents show.—
George Avalos,
The Mercury News,
31 Dec. 2024
-
Stumbling blocks in Germany include the contention by streaming giants that they would be forced to make non-economically sustainable investments, and also the fact that many German production companies are owned by broadcasters.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
31 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
In the food industry, detailed market transaction data is employed to inform suppliers what to sell, stock and distribute.—
Virgil Bretz,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
-
Sunshine Rides, the taxi company where Egan was employed, has suspended him and pledged to assist law enforcement, condemning the incident as unacceptable and harmful.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
29 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Yet the game held more significance for sentimental reasons given the mammoth trade intertwining the two teams’ futures.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
24 Dec. 2024
-
The chief executives of all three held a joint press conference in Tokyo.—
Kantaro Komiya,
The Tennessean,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
On influencers at the DNC and RNC This tension between influencers and traditional media gained prominence when influencers had access to both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.—
Eric Deggans,
NPR,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Aside from Juror #2 Francesca has had several smaller roles in Clint's movies, including Jersey Boys.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
McCarthy was hired two days later.—
Saad Yousuf,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
-
Like Vrabel, Gruden and Rivera can interview in person immediately and get hired once a team completes the Rooney Rule requirements.—
Dianna Russini,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The agreement preserved DeSantis control over the district, while allowing for a new development plan to be crafted.—
Skyler Swisher,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Dec. 2024
-
The Historic Landmark District is well preserved, granted a bit of luck was involved.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
27 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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