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

That's not good news for head coach Shane Steichen who was under a mandate to win this year to guarantee he'd be retained into the future. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Under a long-term licensing agreement, Yum China retained the rights to operate KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell in mainland China, paying Yum a royalty of 3% of restaurant sales. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2026

Paige was on Hubert Davis’s coaching staff at UNC last season, but wasn’t retained by new coach Michael Malone after Davis was fired following the Tar Heels’ first-round flameout in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2026

Despite the protests, Vucic retained considerable support among many of Serbia's voters. — Jovana Gec, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Although Flávio retained his lead in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Lula won their capitals, Brazil’s two largest cities and reversed the first-round result in the city of Rio. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Companies generally retained familiar structures while adjusting performance measures or equity vehicles to reflect their new circumstances, Colucci said. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026

Anthropic also disclosed the amount of shares Amodei and his other investors have retained in the company. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

The team retained approximately 8 petabytes for scientific analysis. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026