retained

[ ri-teynd ]

adjective

1. not lost, destroyed, released, sold, or given away; kept:

   The vendor overvalued both the sold 1,790 acres and the retained 566 acres of Green Meadows.

2. kept in use or practice; continued or preserved:

   We are proud of the retained traditions of entrepreneurship of our ancestors, their respectful and careful attitude to land and craft.

3. (of something perceived or learned) remembered or kept in mind:

   They get taught it in basic training, but without constant practice, land navigation is not a retained skill for the average soldier.

4. engaged for service, often by payment of a preliminary fee:

   To apply for this opportunity in confidence, send your resume and remuneration details to the retained consultants, Kirk & Paulson Consulting Ltd., for an initial interview.

5. kept in check or held in place; held back:

   On completion of the dam, the retained water was diverted for irrigation via two canals.

6. Medicine/Medical. kept in the body, especially abnormally; not expelled or eliminated:

   Three weeks after delivery I was back in the hospital, seriously ill and having a D&C to remove a retained placenta.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of retain.

Other Words From

• un·re·tained adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of retained¹

retain ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

The coated solar cell also retained 90% of its initial efficiency after 1,100 hours of testing under harsh conditions, demonstrating a T90 lifetime three times longer than before when exposed to heat and light.

From Science Daily

Court records do not indicate whether he has retained a lawyer or entered a plea in response to the charges.

From Los Angeles Times

London Liverpool Street has retained its title of Britain's busiest railway station as passenger numbers soared over the past year, new figures show.

From BBC

The savings will be retained in defence and all personnel will be redeployed or retrained, Healy said.

From BBC

During the trial, a liability expert retained by Luna’s attorney, Arash Zabetian, said he had reviewed thousands of city documents and found no standards for inspecting the lights on a regular basis.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• maintained
• received
• saved