Synonyms of retained

retained 1 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
• enlisted
• signed (up or on)
• assumed
• laid on
• feed
• took on
• rehired
• reemployed
• contracted
• promoted
• re-engaged
• partnered
• subcontracted
• reengaged
• upgraded
• re-employed
• jobbed
• apprenticed
• kept (on)
• scouted
• advanced
• headhunted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

retained

2 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of retained

Adjective

Canales retained Evero in 2024 with the thought that the defensive coordinator would essentially be the head coach of the defense. —Mike Kaye september 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025

Fixed and variable factory labor is carefully managed, with core labor retained full-time and trade labor flexed as needed. —Jennifer Castenson, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

The new company retained the Six Flags name. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025

WellChild is a patronage that Harry retained following his step back from his royal role, and he is expected to make a speech and present an award at the charity's awards ceremony on Monday. —Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

Some participants retained many donor strains, others very few. —New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025

Until now, Scripps’ imaging has been conducted with traditional nuclear medicine gamma cameras that indicate where the drug is in the body, but not how much of the dose ends up being retained. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025

Here are all the times a team has retained the trophy, with Madrid in 2017 the first to do so in the Champions League era. —Will Jeanes, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025

That may be true of Nike, but not Adidas, which has retained nearly all of its elite tennis talent. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025