retain
retain — verb
1. To continue to own, hold, or keep something that you already have, especially wh
To continue to own, hold, or keep something that you already have, especially when there is a risk of losing it or a reason that might cause you to give it up.
Lotte retained all her grandmother's handwritten letters even after three house moves.
retain + personal possessions
The company retained its original name despite being bought by a larger firm.
Sahil retained the receipts for every business expense he claimed that year.
retain + documents / records
Despite the budget cuts, the school retained its after-school music programme.
The small bakery on Green Lane has retained the same recipes since it opened in 1987.
- retain ownership
- retain control
- retain the right
- retain your job
- retain your independence
- retain your dignity
- keep
less formal and more general; used in everyday situations
- hold on to
informal phrasal verb; emphasises preventing loss
- maintain
focuses on keeping something at the same level or condition
Grammar Patterns
retain + noun phrase (possession/right/property)
Usage Note
Often used with nouns like 'right', 'ownership', 'control', 'dignity', 'independence', or 'reputation' — things that can be lost or taken away. More formal than 'keep'.
Common Mistakes
2. Describes a material's ability to keep heat, liquid, or flavour inside itself wi
Describes a material's ability to keep heat, liquid, or flavour inside itself without letting it leak or disappear.
A thick woollen jumper retains body heat far better than a thin cotton shirt.
retain + heat (materials comparison)
Clay soil retains moisture much longer than sandy soil during a dry spell.
The old stone walls in the cottage retain the sun's warmth well past sunset.
This ceramic mug retains the temperature of hot drinks for over an hour.
retain + temperature / heat
- retain heat
- retain moisture
- retain water
- retain warmth
- retain flavour
- retain its temperature
Grammar Patterns
retain + heat / moisture / water / flavour
Usage Note
Subject is usually a type of material, fabric, container, or surface. Object is typically a physical property such as heat, moisture, water, aroma, or flavour.
Common Mistakes
3. To pay a sum of money in advance to a lawyer, solicitor, or law firm so that the
To pay a sum of money in advance to a lawyer, solicitor, or law firm so that they are available to give legal advice or represent you when needed.
The Hernandez family retained a lawyer to handle their immigration case.
Before launching the lawsuit, Esteban retained a defamation specialist.
retain + legal expert
The technology start-up retained a law firm to review its patent applications.
Sumin's parents retained legal counsel before signing the property agreement.
retain + legal counsel
- retain a lawyer
- retain an attorney
- retain legal counsel
- retain a solicitor
- retain a law firm
- retain specialist advice
Grammar Patterns
retain + legal professional / law firm
Usage Note
Restricted to legal and professional contexts. The advance payment is called a 'retainer'. Do not use this sense for hiring other types of professionals — use 'hire' or 'engage' instead.
Common Mistakes
4. To keep information, facts, or memories in your mind for a period of time rather
To keep information, facts, or memories in your mind for a period of time rather than forgetting them.
Elderly patients sometimes struggle to retain new information after major surgery.
retain + information
Tariro found it difficult to retain all the vocabulary for her Japanese exam.
Children can retain remarkable amounts of detail when stories use pictures.
The names of the new colleagues were hard to retain after the first meeting.
retain + names / facts
Hyun retained almost nothing from the three-hour lecture on tax law.
- retain information
- retain knowledge
- retain facts
- retain details
- retain what you learned
- difficult to retain
- easy to retain
- remember
more common in everyday speech; less emphasis on holding over time
- memorise
suggests an active effort to commit something to memory
- keep in mind
less formal; suggests remembering to consider something
- forget
to no longer have something in your memory
Grammar Patterns
retain + information / facts / details / knowledge
Usage Note
Used especially in educational or cognitive contexts. Stronger than 'remember' — it implies not just recalling but holding the information over time. Object is usually abstract: 'information', 'facts', 'details', 'knowledge', 'what someone learned'.
Common Mistakes
5. To continue to have a particular position, job, title, or physical feature, espe
To continue to have a particular position, job, title, or physical feature, especially when change or loss is expected.
The old theatre retained its original Art Deco ceiling after the renovation.
retain + architectural feature
Jude retained his position as team captain despite the poor season results.
The town has retained its weekly farmers' market for more than eighty years.
Nellie retained the championship title for the third year in a row.
retain + title / award
This traditional recipe has retained its popularity because it is simple and affordable.
- retain a position
- retain a title
- retain a feature
- retain its character
- retain its popularity
- retain your post
- retain your status
- keep
simpler and more general; 'retain' is more formal
- hold on to
informal; emphasises effort against pressure to change
- preserve
used for features, qualities, or buildings; suggests active protection
Grammar Patterns
retain + position / title / feature / character
Usage Note
Often used in passive constructions ('the building was retained as a museum') or with abstract qualities ('retain its charm, character, appeal'). The focus is on resisting change.