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
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Recent Examples of retained
Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
The investigation remains active, and it is not immediately known if Francilus has retained an attorney.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
The joint campaign has focused intensely on destroying and degrading Iran's missile defenses, but Tehran has retained the capability to hit back across the region.
—Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Although Portugal retained a significant role after independence, Guinea-Bissau also maintains important trade relationships with such countries as Senegal and India.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In so doing, Bettina anticipated a shift from modernist objecthood to the procedural logics that would structure systems and digital- media art—yet retained a fundamentally modernist faith in the promise of spiritual insight through total abstraction.
—Katherine Rochester, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
After a challenge by Milwaukee, Bucknor corrected his mistake, indicating that Bauers was safe and Milwaukee retained their challenge.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Assuming players are retained, TCU will have a nucleus to build around with junior guard Donovyn Hunter, the sophomore Silva and freshman guard Clara Bielefeld.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
The City of Fort Collins says its drones are programmed to document their flight paths during every single flight, and the video from each flight is also recorded and retained.
—Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
The administration initially retained women to project an appearance of diversity while consolidating power, but as the openly sexist nature of the MAGA movement has gained mainstream acceptance, maintaining that facade has become less necessary.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
The investigation remains active, and it is not immediately known if Francilus has retained an attorney.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
The joint campaign has focused intensely on destroying and degrading Iran's missile defenses, but Tehran has retained the capability to hit back across the region.
—Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Although Portugal retained a significant role after independence, Guinea-Bissau also maintains important trade relationships with such countries as Senegal and India.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In so doing, Bettina anticipated a shift from modernist objecthood to the procedural logics that would structure systems and digital- media art—yet retained a fundamentally modernist faith in the promise of spiritual insight through total abstraction.
—Katherine Rochester, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
After a challenge by Milwaukee, Bucknor corrected his mistake, indicating that Bauers was safe and Milwaukee retained their challenge.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Assuming players are retained, TCU will have a nucleus to build around with junior guard Donovyn Hunter, the sophomore Silva and freshman guard Clara Bielefeld.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
The City of Fort Collins says its drones are programmed to document their flight paths during every single flight, and the video from each flight is also recorded and retained.
—Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained
Adjective
-
In the Village Voice, where the Consumer Guide became one of the fabled alt-weekly’s go-to features from the ’70s through the ’90s, Christgau wrote like a possessed fan who breathed insight, making every capsule sound like a psychedelic sonnet.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel, Parker Wotherspoon, Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar also missed Saturday’s game against Washington, which kept its faint playoff hopes alive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
That mix of nature and physical movement kept me grounded.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The plaintiffs also said that the address the city provided for the annexation is part of a parcel that the city already owned.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Investigators learned Elshazli was self-employed and the sole owner of a business and obtained bank records that showed a checking account owned by the business had an average cash balance of just over $30,626 between June 2018 and May 2024, per the court document.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
She’s employed at West Virginia’s federally funded Head Start program for low-income children and her husband is a postal worker.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But the department's Federal Student Aid Handbook does not include that restriction for students employed by schools for on-campus work.—
Hansi Lo Wang,
NPR,
8 Apr. 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
-
Smith had some hot and cold moments, striking out eight while walking five in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Kansas City has had an earnings tax since the 1960s, but voters have been required to renew the tax every five years following a state ballot initiative in 2010.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To gain access, the hackers pose as recruiters seeking contractors for those companies and therefore possess their credentials (which the scammers can obtain with Omnistealer), or as freelance developers seeking to be hired themselves.—
Jessica Klein,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The San Francisco Chronicle published the account of a woman, who remains anonymous, who says she was hired at the age of 21 to work as an intern in Swalwell's district office.—
Diana Paulsen,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The town in South Carolina’s Midlands was founded in the mid-18th century and has been carefully preserved through the decades since.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
-
According to a study published in Nature in 2026, the specimens were preserved by mineral-rich water and crude oil, a rare process that retained not only bone but also cartilage, skin and traces of ancient proteins.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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