as in careful
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Recent Examples of retentive
The velocity of decisions and the inverse of that, though, is when these decisions are made, there are incredibly sticky and retentive businesses.
—
Aaron Weitzman, Axios, 9 Sep. 2024
Her ministers fear her ferociously retentive memory for the details of their portfolios—including the particulars of complex technical and scientific issues, such as trade, digital technology, and, lately, the pandemic.
—Constanze Stelzenmüller, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Industrial facilities are designed using environmentally conscientious materials including white roof decks, LED lighting and water-retentive landscaping techniques.
—David Welch, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022
As well as attracting a significant number of new Discovery+ subscribers, sports broadens its appeal throughout the whole household and provides consumers an even greater, more retentive value proposition.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2022
Energy firms tend to be slow to acquire as customers, but these energy targets are highly retentive once onboarded as customers.
—John Tough, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021
The cornerstone of a retentive company culture is social agility.
—Mark C. Perna, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021
They're known for great listening—and they are retentive with a good memory.
—Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, 22 Oct. 2021
Jane was an anal retentive young mom whose professional dream was to become a bestselling novelist.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2021
Aaron Weitzman, Axios, 9 Sep. 2024
Her ministers fear her ferociously retentive memory for the details of their portfolios—including the particulars of complex technical and scientific issues, such as trade, digital technology, and, lately, the pandemic.
—Constanze Stelzenmüller, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Industrial facilities are designed using environmentally conscientious materials including white roof decks, LED lighting and water-retentive landscaping techniques.
—David Welch, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022
As well as attracting a significant number of new Discovery+ subscribers, sports broadens its appeal throughout the whole household and provides consumers an even greater, more retentive value proposition.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2022
Energy firms tend to be slow to acquire as customers, but these energy targets are highly retentive once onboarded as customers.
—John Tough, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021
The cornerstone of a retentive company culture is social agility.
—Mark C. Perna, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021
They're known for great listening—and they are retentive with a good memory.
—Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, 22 Oct. 2021
Jane was an anal retentive young mom whose professional dream was to become a bestselling novelist.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retentive
Adjective
-
The hamstring injury Mount suffered overextending his leg in the Manchester derby in December kept him out until March, and Amorim was careful to reintroduce him — and praised his diligence in returning to fitness.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
-
Both pranking and writing are exercises in careful observation.—
Katie Yee
July 25,
Literary Hub,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
New hires can't learn by example because there's no one to watch, and conscientious peers can't see when newcomers are struggling.—
David Meade,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
-
Each one should be the result of a deliberate, conscientious decision by the only person elected to make it.—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
Aston Martin Formula One driver Fernando Alonso has revealed a cautious approach in the wet-weather racing argument after the previous race at Spa-Francorchamps saw the FIA delay the race start by 80 minutes due to rain.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Some analysts, including those at Barclays, have also pointed out that there could be potential deceleration in the second half, keeping cautious ratings despite the company’s optimistic outlook.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While Kang’s future (or lack of one) in the MCU is obvious, Feige was far more circumspect about whether audiences can expect to see other A-list MCU cameos — like Charlize Theron’s Clea, Brett Goldstein’s Hercules, Harry Styles’ Starfox and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Mephisto — again in later projects.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
20 July 2025
-
While Trump touted Saturday’s operation targeting three Iranian nuclear facilities as a success, others in the administration have been more circumspect about whether Iran’s nuclear facilities were fully destroyed.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Judge, always wary of self-congratulation, downplayed his contributions.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
-
Those who did speak were wary of unintended consequences, particularly on special education or immigrant students.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Firing off hundreds of identical applications and CVs is unlikely to land you that dream role, so every application needs a thoughtful approach.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
The attention Buzz has received from fans online has even inspired thoughtful next steps.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
In ancient times a heedful list is a ship of the mind.—
Jay Pilgreen,
Kansas City Star,
12 Feb. 2024
-
Enduring decades of bans for its salacious content, D.H. Lawrence's 1928 avant-garde novel gets a fresh adaptation under the heedful eye of Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, who deftly explores the depths of female desire.—
Lia Beck,
EW.com,
12 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Retentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retentive. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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