retention

noun

Definition of retentionnext
as in maintenance
the act of keeping something or someone The company's rate of employee retention is 80 percent.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 retention The lack of these workers can limit disease investigation, hazard identification and emergency preparedness, the report found, warning that hiring and retention problems are likely to persist in the future. — Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026 Reinwald, an external affairs officer for the California State Treasurer’s Office, emphasized career training, teacher retention and school safety. — Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026 Her plans include addressing shortages in the county's police, fire and corrections departments through recruitment, retention and workforce support. — Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026 Flock is reducing its standard data retention window from 30 days to seven, with the caveat that data can be retained longer if police attach it to a case number. — Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for retention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retention
  1. maintenance
  2. retaining
  3. ownership
  4. support
  5. control
Noun
  • Local governments could lose $12 billion annually by 2031, estimates from the state showed, prompting dire warnings from leaders about inevitable cuts to both popular and essential services, from park maintenance to fire response.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Hurst, a member of Folsom’s Planning Commission who previously worked for the California Department of Finance, emphasized responsible spending, transparency and addressing the city’s growing maintenance needs.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of maintenance
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
Definition of retaining
Noun
  • The backstory Hotel Nikko San Francisco opened in 1987 under the ownership of Takenaka Corporation, one of Japan’s largest architecture and engineering firms, and is part of the Okura Nikko Hotels portfolio.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The union has long contended that teams can generate revenue and profits outside of the MLB club through mixed-use developments, RSN ownership and other avenues.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of ownership
Noun
  • The program aims to strengthen the military’s ability to gather information and support operations from orbit.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • And although Senate Democrats are in the majority, Senate Republicans can still use the filibuster to block almost every bill that lacks bipartisan support.
    — Thomas Kahn, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of support
Noun
  • The surrounding gate offers tighter control over current flow, helping address the challenges of further transistor scaling.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Eisenberg was sworn in as assistant attorney general in charge of the department's National Security Division in June 2025 and oversaw cases involving espionage, terrorism, export control violations, cyber crimes and other matters.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of control

Browse Nearby Words

reteaching
retention
retentive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Retention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retention. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on retention

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about retention

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All