noun
-
the act of retaining or state of being retained
-
the capacity to hold or retain liquid
-
the capacity to remember
-
pathol the abnormal holding within the body of urine, faeces, etc, that are normally excreted
-
commerce a sum of money owed to a contractor but not paid for an agreed period as a safeguard against any faults found in the work carried out
-
(plural) accounting profits earned by a company but not distributed as dividends; retained earnings
Usage
What is retention? Retention is the act of retaining, that is, holding onto or keeping possession of something, as in Kim noted the plant’s successful retention of water.Retention is also used to refer to the state of being retained or having the power to retain something, as in The lawyer was outraged by the police’s continued retention of his client.Retention can also mean that something or someone has the power to retain things, especially a person’s ability to retain information in their memory, as in Weekly testing is done to improve students’ retention of what they have learned.Example: Justine worked hard to improve the retention of skilled employees at her company.
Other Word Forms
- nonretention noun
- overretention noun
Etymology
Origin of retention
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English retencion, from Latin retentiōn-, stem of retentiō “restraint, withholding,” from retent(us) “held back” (past participle of retinēre “to hold back”; retain ) + -iō -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The result is that when a manager–subordinate relationship begins, the retention rate among other workers at the same establishment falls by 6 percentage points.
In a statement to USA Today, Costco explained that it uses carrageenan and sodium phosphate “to support moisture retention, texture, and product consistency during cooking,” adding that both ingredients are “approved by food safety authorities.”
From Salon
"Careful thought must be given to how the proposals translate into practical support - including recruitment and retention strong enough to meet growing needs," he says.
From BBC
Wangenheim says one of the primary challenges is the "recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals".
From Barron's
It contains measures to tackle the recruitment and retention of teachers, for example, by improving maternity pay and introducing financial incentives for head teachers.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
