Retainer
/rɪˈteɪnər/
Definitions
2 meaningsA person or thing kept in service or belonging to a household, or a fee paid to secure services.
/rɪˈteɪnər/
A person or thing that retains something or is retained, especially in service.
The company hired a financial retainer to manage their investments.
💡 Simply: Imagine you hire a dog walker. The money you pay upfront to make sure they’re available to walk your dog whenever you need is a retainer. Or, it could be the thing you wear after braces to keep your teeth straight!
👶 For kids: It's like a helper, like a servant a long time ago. Also, it's like something to keep your teeth straight.
More Examples
The knight's retainers provided him with protection and loyalty.
The orthodontic retainer helped to maintain the correct position of her teeth.
She paid a retainer fee to secure the services of a freelance graphic designer.
How It's Used
"The lawyer's retainer was paid in advance."
"The knight kept a large number of retainers at his castle."
"She needed to wear a retainer to keep her teeth straight after braces."
A device or object that keeps something in place.
/rɪˈteɪnər/
Something that holds something else in place or position.
The mechanic replaced the valve spring retainer.
💡 Simply: Like the thing you get after braces to keep your teeth from going back to their old places, a retainer keeps stuff in place! Or, it could be a part in a machine, doing a similar job.
👶 For kids: Something that keeps things where they should be.
More Examples
She wore a retainer to prevent her teeth from shifting.
The door's retainer helped to keep it from swinging open.
The retainer clip kept the wire in place.
How It's Used
"The dentist recommended a retainer to be worn after the braces were removed."
"The engine used a retainer to hold the valve spring in place."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
retainer fee
An amount paid in advance to secure someone's services (especially a lawyer).
"She paid a retainer fee to the lawyer to represent her in court."
From Old French *retenir* meaning "to hold back, keep." The word developed through the medieval practice of maintaining a retinue or a servant, later evolving to the modern legal and financial context of holding back something.
Historically, 'retainer' referred to a person in service to a lord or noble. This definition is seen in medieval and Renaissance literature.
Memory tip
Think of a 'retainer' as someone or something you 'retain' or hold on to.
Word Origin
"to hold back, keep"