Synonyms of retaining

retaining 1 of 2

noun

as in retention

Related Words

• retention
• holding
• keeping
• possession
• hands
• control
• support
• custody
• maintenance
• enjoyment
• conservation
• safekeeping
• ownership
• care
• proprietorship
• claiming
• power
• mastery
• procurement
• repossession
• dominion
• confiscation
• authority
• command
• commandeering
• collaring

Dissimilar Words

• relinquishment
• surrendering
• dispossession
• transferal
• nonpossession

retaining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of retain

1

as in keeping

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

• keeping
• holding
• preserving
• possessing
• saving
• having
• reserving
• withholding
• protecting
• conserving
• enjoying
• guarding
• owning
• holding on to
• managing
• controlling
• hanging on to
• boasting
• directing
• commanding
• ruling
• harboring
• detaining
• hugging
• clinging (to)
• cherishing
• bearing
• treasuring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• yielding
• relinquishing
• releasing
• surrendering
• abandoning
• giving
• dropping
• contributing
• giving up
• dumping
• donating
• discarding
• losing
• ceding
• declining
• rejecting
• handing over
• handing out
• repudiating
• spurning

2

as in owning

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

• owning
• having
• possessing
• enjoying
• holding
• keeping
• commanding
• reserving
• withholding
• carrying
• rejoicing in
• bearing
• boasting
• sporting
• showing off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lacking
• wanting
• abandoning
• relinquishing
• yielding
• renouncing
• dumping
• surrendering
• discarding
• ceding
• requiring
• rejecting
• declining
• handing over
• disclaiming
• needing
• disowning
• repudiating
• spurning

3

as in employing

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

• employing
• hiring
• recruiting
• engaging
• placing
• paying
• enlisting
• assuming
• signing (up or on)
• feeing
• taking on
• laying on
• promoting
• jobbing
• upgrading
• partnering
• contracting
• rehiring
• reengaging
• subcontracting
• reemploying
• advancing
• keeping (on)
• scouting
• apprenticing
• headhunting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dismissing
• discharging
• firing
• sacking
• canning
• axing
• laying off
• locking out
• furloughing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of retaining

Noun

Older people have a harder time producing, retaining, and circulating body heat. — Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026

The fabric is the smooth, soft feel that Lululemon is famous for, while still being breathable, sweat-wicking, and shape-retaining. — Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Apr. 2026

But we’re invited to see him as, despite these foibles, amusing and retaining, and his cynicism about everything and his lack of moral scruple is—actually, we’re invited to see this as a kind of higher wisdom. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026

Lynch retaining seems likely, but Bella’s presence brings nostalgia and star power for the international audience. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Verb

While retaining the distinctive tabi construction of its archival reference, the collaborative series introduces thicker bases and more substantial proportions to create a new expression. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Kapoor will lead the creative direction, with Balaji retaining the underlying IP while tapping YouTube’s global distribution and advertising business — a savvy expansion that doesn’t involve surrendering ownership of her stories. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026

The abattoir passed from the British to Japanese occupying forces in 1937 and then to the new Chinese authorities in 1946, retaining its original function until the late 1950s. — New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026

The indictment increases the number of criminal counts from four to five, adding conspiracy to commit torture while retaining the existing drug trafficking and weapons allegations. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

There’s a weightiness to this project that’s not lost on the director, whose aim is to deliver a production as close to Larson’s vision as possible — retaining its period and NYC setting — with a few surprises. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

But Freundlich solved the puzzle while retaining room for a king-size bed and enough bare floor for Moore to practice her beloved yoga. — Michael Boodro, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026

The key is to allocate capital according to where care is moving, while retaining sufficient capacity for complex and emergency cases. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

City leaders have also pointed to the city’s high housing costs and difficulty retaining middle-income workers and families. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026