Retention
rɪˈtɛnʃən
Definitions
3 meaningsThe act of keeping something; the power or capacity to retain something.
rɪˈtɛnʃən
The action of keeping something in one's possession or control.
The company is focused on employee retention.
💡 Simply: Imagine you have a favorite toy, and you really want to keep it. Retention is like that feeling of wanting to hold onto something, whether it's a toy, information, or even an employee at a company. For example, a company wants to keep its best employees – that’s employee retention!
👶 For kids: Keeping something. Like keeping a toy, or remembering what you learned.
More Examples
Water retention can cause swelling in the ankles.
Memory retention improves with regular practice.
How It's Used
"Employee retention is crucial for a company's success."
"The retention of legal documents is essential for compliance."
The act of retaining information in the mind.
rɪˈtɛnʃən
The ability to remember things.
The student's information retention was excellent after studying.
💡 Simply: When you study for a test and remember the information, that’s information retention! It's about how well your brain keeps the facts and ideas you've learned. For example, using flashcards can help with information retention.
👶 For kids: Remembering things, like what you learned in school.
More Examples
The teacher emphasized strategies to improve memory retention.
Poor sleep can negatively affect information retention.
How It's Used
"Cognitive training can improve memory retention."
"Effective teaching methods promote information retention."
The act of holding or keeping something in place; the prevention of movement or release.
rɪˈtɛnʃən
The act of holding something in place.
The patient suffered from fluid retention.
💡 Simply: Imagine trying to hold water in a container. Retention, in this sense, means keeping something where it's supposed to be. In medicine, for example, urinary retention means the body can't release urine. In construction, earth retention is important to keep the ground from falling away.
👶 For kids: Keeping something in a place, like keeping water in a bottle.
More Examples
The construction project required earth retention measures.
The bladder's retention of urine caused discomfort.
How It's Used
"Urinary retention is a serious medical condition."
"The earth retention system prevented soil erosion."
Synonyms
Conservation
Holding
Keeping
Maintenance
Preservation
Memory
Recall
Recollection
Remembrance
Confinement
Containment
Prevention
Restriction
Antonyms
Disposal
Expenditure
Expulsion
Loss
Release
Amnesia
Forgetting
Oblivion
Discharge
Elimination
Evacuation
Idioms & expressions
retention rate
A measure of how well an organization retains its employees or customers over a given period.
"The company tracks its customer retention rate closely to assess its performance."
data retention
The process of keeping and storing data.
"The company needs a data retention policy."
From Latin *retentio*, meaning 'a holding back, a keeping'. The word evolved from the verb *retenere*, meaning 'to hold back, restrain, keep'.
The word 'retention' has been used since the 15th century, primarily in legal and business contexts. Its application to memory is a more recent development.
Memory tip
Think of 'keeping' something. Re-tain means to hold again.