retention

noun

re·ten·tion | \ ri-ˈten(t)-shən

Definition of retention

1a : the act of retaining : the state of being retained

b : abnormal retaining of a fluid or secretion in a body cavity

2a : power of retaining : retentiveness

b : an ability to retain things in mind specifically : a preservation of the aftereffects of experience and learning that makes recall or recognition possible

3 : something retained

Examples of retention in a Sentence

the recruitment and retention of good employees the retention of profits from all sales pills to offset water retention the retention of things learned in school They say the herb promotes memory retention.

Recent Examples on the Web

Brittle, damaged hair gets in the way of length retention, weakens strands, and limits your style versatility. — Lara Adekola, Teen Vogue, "How to Grow Your Natural Hair," 2 Jan. 2019 The rule, known as risk retention, now doesn’t apply to CLO managers. — Cezary Podkul, WSJ, "Hedge Funds Revive the Junk Bond CDO," 7 Nov. 2018 The order also directs Greitens to provide phone numbers and other details about the devices, which would allow the plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging violations of the state records-retention law to request information from Confide. — David A. Lieb, chicagotribune.com, "Outgoing Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens signs 'revenge porn' law," 1 June 2018 Her face swelled up due to immunosuppressant drugs, and fluid retention caused her blood pressure to spike enough to damage her vision, which already wasn’t great. — Zahra Barnes, SELF, "Sarah Hyland Opens Up About Dialysis and Her Second Kidney Transplant," 10 Dec. 2018 In April, Terry Albury, a former counter-terrorism agent at the FBI, pleaded guilty to two counts — unlawful transmission and retention of national defense information — and prosecutors recommended a sentence of three to five years in prison. — Jenny Jarvie, latimes.com, "Reality Winner, the ex-NSA contractor accused of leaking secrets, pleads guilty," 27 June 2018 The primary voting also appeared to leave in doubt who will be sitting on the county’s Circuit Court bench following the November general election, as neither sitting judge on Tuesday’s ballot received a clear path to retention. — The Aegis, "Peisinger takes GOP state's attorney nod in Harford; Glassman, Vincenti also win primary bids," 27 June 2018 The risks of such transactions can hinge on talent retention. — Tatyana Shumsky, WSJ, "Companies Use Deals to Buy New Skills in Battle to Spur Growth," 23 Jan. 2019 While Instagram wants to entice creators away from YouTube with its own long-form video platform, YouTube is focusing on retention—and one of the best ways to do that is to support creators with new money-making features. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "YouTube now lets you pay $4.99 per month to support your favorite creators [Update]," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'retention.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.