retain
gb/ɹɪtˈeɪn/ us/ɹɪtˈeɪn/
B2
Inglés
~ 1600
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B2
action
1
Continue to have something
To keep something and not give it away or lose it.
Patrón de uso:
to retain [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use 'retain' in casual contexts where 'keep' is more natural, making the sentence sound overly formal.
Sinónimos
keep (More common and general in everyday speech; 'retain' is slightly more formal.)
Antónimos
lose (Opposite in meaning; to no longer have something.)
Colocaciones
retain control
|retain ownership
|retain rights
|retain information
|retain possession
Temas
daily life
|business
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She worked hard to retain her position at the company.
- The team managed to retain control of the ball.
- You should drink water to retain your energy during the hike.
- The organization will retain ownership of the building.
- He retained possession of the key documents.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I want to retain my job.
- She retained her old books.
- We must retain this land.
- They try to retain their customers.
- He retained his seat on the bus.
Verbo
B2
action
2
Keep information in memory
To remember information for some time.
Patrón de uso:
to retain [information/knowledge/facts]
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse 'retain' with 'memorize'; 'memorize' is about learning, while 'retain' is about keeping that knowledge over time.
Sinónimos
remember ('Remember' is more common and less formal; 'retain' suggests holding knowledge over time.)
Antónimos
forget (Opposite in meaning; to be unable to remember information.)
Colocaciones
retain knowledge
|retain memory
|retain facts
|retain details
Temas
education
|psychology
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- It's difficult to retain so many dates for the history exam.
- Children can retain new words more easily than adults.
- She retains a lot of information from her college days.
- I can't retain all these technical terms.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I can retain many English words.
- He retains what he reads.
- She cannot retain numbers well.
- We retain facts from school.
Verbo
formal
C1
action
3
Keep someone’s professional services
To pay someone, like a lawyer, so they will work for you when needed.
Patrón de uso:
to retain [someone/professional]
Error frecuente:
Learners may think 'retain' here means 'keep possession of'; in this context, it means to keep paying for someone's services.
Sinónimos
hire ('Hire' is more general; 'retain' is used especially for ongoing professional services.)
Antónimos
dismiss (Opposite in meaning; to end someone's employment or services.)
Colocaciones
retain a lawyer
|retain an advisor
|retain a consultant
Temas
business
|law
Ejemplos
- The company decided to retain its legal counsel for another year.
- We retained a consultant to help with the project.
- She retained the same financial advisor for over a decade.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I will retain a lawyer for my case.
- They retained an expert for advice.
- We retained a teacher for extra lessons.
Verbo
technical
B2
action
4
Hold liquid, heat, etc.
To hold liquid, heat, or another thing inside and not let it go.
Patrón de uso:
to retain [heat/moisture/liquid]
Error frecuente:
Learners might confuse 'retain' with 'absorb'; but something can absorb and not necessarily keep it for long.
Sinónimos
absorb ('Absorb' means take in; 'retain' means both take in and keep.)
Antónimos
release (Opposite in meaning; to let go of what is held inside.)
Colocaciones
retain heat
|retain moisture
|retain water
Temas
science
|cooking
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The walls are designed to retain heat in winter.
- This soil retains water well after rain.
- The towel retains moisture even after being wrung out.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The pot retains heat for hours.
- This sponge retains water well.
- The soil retains moisture.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
retain
AFI
GB/ɹɪtˈeɪn/
US/ɹɪtˈeɪn/
Sílabas y acento
re - tain (2 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tain)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: retain
- 3rd Person Singular: retains
- Present Participle: retaining
- Past: retained
Familia de palabras
Forms
retains
verb
retaining
verb
retained
verb
Core family
retention
noun B2
Related words
retainer
noun
retentive
adjective
Advanced or less common
retainable
adjective
Expresiones
retain control
1/ɹɪtˈeɪn kəntɹˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
Continue having authority or influence
To keep power over something or someone and not lose it.
Ejemplos
- Despite the challenges, she managed to retain control of the project.
- The army retained control of the region after the conflict.
retain ownership
1/ɹɪtˈeɪn ˈoʊnɚʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
Continue having legal possession
To keep legal rights over property or something you own.
Ejemplos
- They sold part of the business but retained ownership of the main brand.
- You can lease the land but still retain ownership.
retain rights
1/ɹɪtˈeɪn ɹˈaɪts/
fixed phrase
Continue having entitlements
To keep your legal or moral right to something.
Ejemplos
- Authors usually retain rights to their work under this contract.
- She retains rights over the songs she wrote.