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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of retained
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Dubai retained its clear lead among Gulf real estate markets last year, with buyers spending 541 billion dirhams ($147 billion) on residential property in the emirate in 2025, some 27% more than the year before.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
In comparison, competitor cells retained 350 km (218 miles) or less under the same conditions.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026
Images and video are retained only as long as necessary for security purposes and then disposed of.
—Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Mike Zimmer was the defensive coordinator in 2024, but he was not retained after the team let go of head coach Mike McCarthy.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Notable names to watch will be Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz if he is not retained in Cleveland, Denver Broncos passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard and Seattle Seahawks passing game coordinator Karl Scott.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Jan. 2026
The Libertarian Party was the last to gain access to the ballot in 2016 and has retained that access, said Misha Mohr, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Election Board.
—Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice, 6 Jan. 2026
Penn State has also retained several key players and added a Monday commitment from Keanu Williams, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound defensive tackle who started 11 games for UCLA in 2025.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
America’s public health report card is in, and New Hampshire has retained its crown as the country’s healthiest state.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Dubai retained its clear lead among Gulf real estate markets last year, with buyers spending 541 billion dirhams ($147 billion) on residential property in the emirate in 2025, some 27% more than the year before.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
In comparison, competitor cells retained 350 km (218 miles) or less under the same conditions.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026
Images and video are retained only as long as necessary for security purposes and then disposed of.
—Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Mike Zimmer was the defensive coordinator in 2024, but he was not retained after the team let go of head coach Mike McCarthy.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Notable names to watch will be Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz if he is not retained in Cleveland, Denver Broncos passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard and Seattle Seahawks passing game coordinator Karl Scott.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Jan. 2026
The Libertarian Party was the last to gain access to the ballot in 2016 and has retained that access, said Misha Mohr, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Election Board.
—Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice, 6 Jan. 2026
Penn State has also retained several key players and added a Monday commitment from Keanu Williams, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound defensive tackle who started 11 games for UCLA in 2025.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained
Adjective
-
Linda Blair would ultimately be cast as the possessed child, Regan.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
27 Dec. 2025
-
David Dastmalchian stars as Jack Delroy, an opportunistic host who invites a possessed girl and a child psychologist as his guests for the night in a desperate bid for ratings.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But Daniels kept getting hurt this season, managing to start only seven games and getting shut down in December after a series of injuries to his left knee, right hamstring and left elbow.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
-
While rebounding kept the Horned Frogs in the game early, the offense finally picked up until the mistakes piled up down the stretch.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The diamond is currently owned by descendants of the Austro-Hungarian royal family, who have finally come forward to share their family secret and reveal how the jewel made it out of Europe.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The previous owner was only interested in selling to a family business, and unfortunately for Château D’Issan partner and general manager Emmanuel Cruse, both neighboring wineries are family-owned as well.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Student enrollment at Epic had swelled to 60,000 students in 2020-21, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, and the school employed more than 1,600 teachers that year.—
Jennifer Palmer,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Jan. 2026
-
DeCristo, who is still employed by the university as an assistant professor in the American Studies Department, did not respond to a request for comment from Bee.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Ewing never married or had children, but is survived by other family members, per Extra.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The news and editorial staffs of the Orange County Register had no role in this post’s preparation.—
MemorialCare Medical Group,
Oc Register,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Reuters reported Thursday that Comcast had hired bankers from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to sort through a potential bid for some of WBD’s assets.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Investigations found the voicemails of public figures were hacked by journalists and private investigators hired by publications who worked on the assumption that few people changed the default voicemail access code their handset came with.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Today, the cookbooks are out of print, but a few copies are available here and there online, and they are preserved in the archives and collections of the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Historical Society.—
Molly Guthrey,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Decades later, in 1980, the Granzin family purchased the bakery, but preserved the recipes and traditions, from the strudel to the breakfast-sausage kolaches.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share