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
Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
In hiring Jeffrey Kessler, Sorsby has retained a top sports litigator for his case against the NCAA.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 June 2026
It is not yet known whether Oriyomi has retained legal counsel.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 7 June 2026
The men's world championship was retained by South Africa, which clinched it after reaching the semifinals at Stade Atlantique.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
Instead, the structure seen on the scan was retained blood from her most recent menstrual cycle.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Ukraine has retained roughly the same interception rates for drones as before the recent escalation, downing around 90% of them each month and using electronic warfare to divert some munitions away from populated areas.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Moreover, energy storage devices built using the materials retained 98 percent of their performance after 45,000 charge-discharge cycles.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026
The distinction is not permanent and must be retained through a reapplication process every three years.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Adjective
No Kansas justice has ever been non-retained.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
Verb
According to the staff report, data is retained for a maximum of one year unless part of an active investigation, and annual audits are conducted to verify compliance with privacy policies.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
In hiring Jeffrey Kessler, Sorsby has retained a top sports litigator for his case against the NCAA.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 June 2026
It is not yet known whether Oriyomi has retained legal counsel.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 7 June 2026
The men's world championship was retained by South Africa, which clinched it after reaching the semifinals at Stade Atlantique.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
Instead, the structure seen on the scan was retained blood from her most recent menstrual cycle.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Ukraine has retained roughly the same interception rates for drones as before the recent escalation, downing around 90% of them each month and using electronic warfare to divert some munitions away from populated areas.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Moreover, energy storage devices built using the materials retained 98 percent of their performance after 45,000 charge-discharge cycles.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026
The distinction is not permanent and must be retained through a reapplication process every three years.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained
Adjective
-
But no homes are so possessed with pottery of the truly enormous variety as Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus, whose Portuguese farmhouse appears on the cover of our June issue.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
22 May 2026
-
Once Nikki returns to herself, she’s still left with extreme trauma and consequences, given that the possessed version of her murdered two people.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Khloe kept things more Monte Carlo-summer-esque, in a plunging halter top, black capri pants, and thong sandals.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
6 June 2026
-
But concerns continued to mount, especially following the 2009 revelation of Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment facility, which was initially kept secret from the International Atomic Energy Agency.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
More than three-quarters of America’s financial assets, including stocks, are owned by the top 20% — and more than a quarter by the top 1%.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
-
Also included in this zone is the adjacent unnamed development (owned by the same developers as Lee + White), which is the new home of the Atlanta Food Truck Park, and Bogg’s Social and Supply next door.—
Kate Williams,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Strauss, who killed himself in 2005, was employed by Ohio State’s athletic department and medical staff for nearly two decades.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
More than 60 cameras were employed to swoop around the stage and arena as Perry hopscotched through aerial stunts, pyro blasts and more than a couple of costume changes.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
3 June 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
-
But as of Tuesday evening, Wasserman Schultz’s opponents had yet to agree on who should carry that torch.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
-
Still, there are pleasures to be had in the slow build and, as Con and Doane have found, in the comfort of lives lived in just the particular way these men have decided to live them.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors alleged Roberts knowingly lacked employment authorization for nearly all of his two-decade career in urban education and submitted a counterfeit Social Security card when he was hired as superintendent of the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
And yet, in the same window, my 50-person consulting firm hired its first full-stack software developer in January.—
Rob Collie,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
At the time, detectives collected and preserved physical evidence but were unable to narrow down a suspect.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
The core of the building will be preserved, and the outside is getting a makeover.—
Chase Jordan
May 29,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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