1
as in servant
a person hired to perform household or personal services
knights being dressed for battle by their retainers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in employee
one who works for another for wages or a salary
lifelong civil service retainers
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 retainer
The photo below also shows the undersides of the top radiator mount and adjustable graphics card retainer, with one of the retainer’s fingers extended.
—
Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2025
Try Consulting Leverage your brain capital for consulting and contract retainer work.
—Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Old Hamlet’s retainers acquired crumbling public housing estates turning out occupants enabling them to build showy apartments for cash buyers.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Terrell demanded a $100,000 retainer.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2025
Try Consulting Leverage your brain capital for consulting and contract retainer work.
—Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Old Hamlet’s retainers acquired crumbling public housing estates turning out occupants enabling them to build showy apartments for cash buyers.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Terrell demanded a $100,000 retainer.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retainer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retainer
Noun
-
Nonetheless, the two become close, to the degree that they are compared to Don Quixote and his faithful servant Sancho Panza.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Their society was hierarchical, with those below the caciques known as the nitaínos (elites), behiques (perhaps shamans), and the naborías (usually servants and commoners).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Many civilian employees at the base who are paid using funds appropriated by Congress have been furloughed and others that are deemed mission critical are currently working without pay.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Other Inside Trader Joe’s podcast episodes have discussed many of the quirks of the beloved grocery store, like what the bells next to cash registered are for and whether employees are encouraged to flirt with customers.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Independence Inn—where Lorelai worked as a maid during the first three seasons—had a formal vibe with a dark color palette and mahogany wood throughout the lobby area (including that fireplace).—
Mara Reinstein,
Architectural Digest,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Directed by Kim Ki-young, the film is a cautionary tale about the dangers of infidelity, following a couple that hires a maid to help around the house while the wife is pregnant, only to have the young woman (Lee Eun-shim) destroy the family from the inside out.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The listener is no longer an outsider from the polite world of public broadcasting, or podcasting, but a tired factory worker longing for relief.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
In Uttar Pradesh, a development initiative provided community health workers with a smartphone app that combined diagnostic and treatment instructions with a client-management program.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retainer. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share