Synonyms of retained

retained 1 of 2

adjective

as in possessed

Related Words

• possessed
• owned
• protected
• loved
• valued
• cherished
• treasured
• prized

Dissimilar Words

• gone
• lost
• misplaced
• missing
• absent
• mislaid
• irretrievable
• irrecoverable
• castaway

retained

2 of 2

verb

past tense of retain

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

• kept
• held
• preserved
• possessed
• withheld
• saved
• reserved
• had
• protected
• conserved
• owned
• enjoyed
• guarded
• held on to
• boasted
• managed
• hung on to
• controlled
• ruled
• detained
• directed
• bore
• cherished
• clung (to)
• commanded
• hugged
• harbored
• treasured

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• released
• yielded
• surrendered
• abandoned
• dropped
• gave
• contributed
• relinquished
• ceded
• gave up
• donated
• discarded
• lost
• handed over
• rejected
• dumped
• declined
• repudiated
• handed out
• spurned

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

• owned
• had
• possessed
• enjoyed
• held
• commanded
• kept
• withheld
• reserved
• rejoiced in
• carried
• boasted
• bore
• sported
• showed off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lacked
• wanted
• abandoned
• relinquished
• yielded
• surrendered
• ceded
• renounced
• discarded
• dumped
• handed over
• required
• rejected
• needed
• declined
• disclaimed
• repudiated
• disowned
• spurned

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

• employed
• hired
• recruited
• engaged
• placed
• paid
• signed (up or on)
• assumed
• enlisted
• laid on
• feed
• took on
• rehired
• reemployed
• contracted
• promoted
• partnered
• subcontracted
• reengaged
• upgraded
• jobbed
• apprenticed
• kept (on)
• scouted
• advanced
• headhunted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dismissed
• discharged
• fired
• canned
• sacked
• laid off
• axed
• locked out
• furloughed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of retained

Adjective

No Kansas justice has ever been non-retained. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026

Verb

This means that even atomic versions of oxygen and nitrogen would be retained. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026

His family has retained a lawyer and sued the Brentwood Police Department, accusing it of killing her and injuring her head during the arrest. — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 15 July 2026

Mass federal workforce reductions also cut significant China expertise within the civil service, even while some China-specific offices were retained. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026

The Lionesses retained their title, beating the world champions on penalties in the final in Switzerland. — Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Sites that fail to comply could face civil action from the parents of kids who viewed pornography or anyone whose data is unlawfully retained. — Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, 14 July 2026

Even that number has caveats, as Walter and his partners already owned about a quarter of the team and the Buss family retained some equity. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026

Recently, China’s THU Huoshen Team from Tsinghua University retained its RoboCup 2026 Humanoid League title, with the Booster T1 humanoid robot securing back-to-back championships in South Korea. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026

Family attorney Sean Daredia said the Erving family has retained an independent investigative team to examine the circumstances surrounding Daniel's death. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026