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
Examples 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
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Mikey’s got a possessed toilet, a rotten floor, a delivery guy with a net-30 billing schedule, and insufficient staff.Marah Eakin, Vulture, 27 June 2024
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The two-hour runtime and slow boil storytelling make the full unveiling of Linda Blair’s possessed, demonic Regan all the more devastating, providing a horror monster whose salvation is all too easy to root for.Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2024
Verb
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The family has kept all the dresses, along with the accessories, from throughout the years.Jordan Greene, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
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The Playoff tripled in size this year, but the committee kept its evaluation process mostly the same.Jayna Bardahl, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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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
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Yet there are other objects — a vase owned by a friend, say, or a book that a loved one once gave us — that are imbued with a near-mystic power for us.Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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He is currently being held at a federal detention center in Brooklyn.Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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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
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Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins had high praise for Wells before the game.Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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McCarthy was hired two days later.Saad Yousuf, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
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He was hired after Dodgers executive Lon Rosen saw an episode of the family’s reality television series, For Peete’s Sake, which focused on helping RJ land a job.Alex Gurley, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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The Historic Landmark District is well preserved, granted a bit of luck was involved.Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near retained
Cite this Entry
“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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