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
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
Susie Violet Ward,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004, at least 80% of the entrance fees paid onsite must be retained and used at the national park where the fees are collected.
—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
The bronze was sold again in 1882, this time by Christie’s, to industrialist Thomas Merthyr Guest, whose family retained the work until the July 1 sale.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 July 2026
According to O’Conner’s first theory, the planet would have retained far more heat from when the star went red dwarf than the researchers observed.
—
Sam MacDonald,
Scientific American,
1 July 2026
Nathaniel Clyne is not expected to be retained by Crystal Palace after his contract expired in June.
—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party retained its large parliamentary majority in recent elections overshadowed by unrest in Africa’s second-most-populous country.
—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
22 June 2026
One-year-old Kohen Wiley, his mother and a family friend were in the vehicle at the time, according to Ben Crump Law, which has been retained by the victim's family.
—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Routine video footage will be retained for up to five years, while non-matching face data will not be stored continuously.
—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
21 June 2026
Adjective
No Kansas justice has ever been non-retained.
—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
Verb
For ordinary users, this means more personal information is collected, passed through more systems and retained in more databases, all in the name of preventing crime.
—
Susie Violet Ward,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004, at least 80% of the entrance fees paid onsite must be retained and used at the national park where the fees are collected.
—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
The bronze was sold again in 1882, this time by Christie’s, to industrialist Thomas Merthyr Guest, whose family retained the work until the July 1 sale.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 July 2026
According to O’Conner’s first theory, the planet would have retained far more heat from when the star went red dwarf than the researchers observed.
—
Sam MacDonald,
Scientific American,
1 July 2026
Nathaniel Clyne is not expected to be retained by Crystal Palace after his contract expired in June.
—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party retained its large parliamentary majority in recent elections overshadowed by unrest in Africa’s second-most-populous country.
—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
22 June 2026
One-year-old Kohen Wiley, his mother and a family friend were in the vehicle at the time, according to Ben Crump Law, which has been retained by the victim's family.
—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Routine video footage will be retained for up to five years, while non-matching face data will not be stored continuously.
—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained
Adjective
-
But no homes are so possessed with pottery of the truly enormous variety as Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus, whose Portuguese farmhouse appears on the cover of our June issue.
-
Once Nikki returns to herself, she’s still left with extreme trauma and consequences, given that the possessed version of her murdered two people.
Verb
-
Officers kept some witnesses at the scene for questioning and blocked off streets in the area.
-
Ray settled in and kept the Rockies at bay before turning the game over to the bullpen.
Verb
-
The company remains family-owned, with Alice Chen, Roger’s daughter, taking over as chief executive in 2018 and Jonson Chen, Roger’s son, serving as chairman.
-
At the end of a two-week trial, the verdict went strongly in favor of Maria Avila, who was viciously attacked by Hades, a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd owned by Brown, while emptying trash outside the singer’s Tarzana, California house.
Verb
-
As of Monday, Blue was no longer employed at the McDonald’s, and is being held at the Broward County Jail without bond, per NBC Miami.
-
First, that Netanyahu will once again rely on the anti-Arab rhetoric that his party has employed for years.
Verb
-
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
Verb
-
The jewelry designer and mother of two had a lumpectomy, underwent radiation and took Tamoxifen to reduce her risk of recurrence.
-
Unlike Brazil, the Philippines has never had a player make a meaningful impact on the professional game, especially on the women’s side.
Verb
-
Non-Chinese managers were fired shortly after they had been hired and were replaced with Chinese managers, according to the complaint filed in a federal court in Los Angeles.
-
Moore then won Super Bowl LIX as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, and was hired shortly after as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
Verb
-
The lengthy delay to the funeral has raised questions about how Khamenei's remains have been preserved, as Islamic tradition, anaylsts say, generally calls for prompt burial and discourages chemical embalming.
-
Rather than adapting the group’s concept for the Korean market, the team preserved its distinctly Japanese aesthetic by making only minor adjustments.
Cite this Entry
“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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