retention

See also: rétention

English

Etymology

From Middle English retencioun, borrowed from Latin retentiō, retentiōnis, from retentus, the perfect passive participle of retineō (“retain”) (from re- (“back, again”) + teneō (“hold, keep”)).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈtɛnʃən/
Audio (US) (file)

Noun

retention (countable and uncountable, plural retentions)

The act of retaining or something retained
- c. 1601–1602, William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or VVhat You VVill”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene iv], page 95:
  No woman's heart / So big, to hold so much; they lack retention.
The act or power of remembering things
A memory; what is retained in the mind
(medicine) The involuntary withholding of urine and faeces
(medicine) The length of time an individual remains in treatment
(obsolete) That which contains something, as a tablet; a means of preserving impressions.
- 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 122”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, OCLC 216596634:
  Thy gift, thy tables, are within my brain
  Full character’d with lasting memory,
  […]
  That poor retention could not so much hold,
  Nor need I tallies thy dear love to score;
(obsolete) The act of withholding; restraint; reserve.
- c. 1601–1602, William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or VVhat You VVill”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene i], page 79:
  His life I gave him, and did thereto add / My love without retention or restraint,
(obsolete) A place of custody or confinement.
(law) The right to withhold a debt, or of retaining property until a debt due to the person claiming the right is duly paid; a lien.
- 1754, John Erskine of Carnock, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
  The right of retention, which bears a near resemblance to compensation, is chiefly competent where the mutual debts, not being liquid, cannot be the ground of compensation
(insurance) The portion of a potential damange that must be paid for by the holder of an insurance policy.

Derived terms

retention tank

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ten-‎ (1 c, 60 e)

Translations

the act of retaining or something retained

Bulgarian: задържане n (zadǎržane)
Dutch: vasthouding, retentie (nl)
Estonian: säilitamine
Finnish: säilyttäminen (fi)
French: rétention (fr) f
German: Zurückhaltung (de) f
Irish: coinneáil f
Italian: conservazione (it) f
Romanian: reținere (ro) f, retenție (ro) f (medical)
Russian: удержа́ние (ru) n (uderžánije), удержива́ние (ru) n (uderživánije), сохране́ние (ru) n (soxranénije)
Spanish: retención (es) f
Ukrainian: утримання (utrymannja), зберігання (zberihannja)

the act or power of remembering things; memory

Arabic: حِفْظ‎ (ḥifẓ)
Bulgarian: запомняне n (zapomnjane)
Dutch: geheugen (nl) n, herinneringsvermogen (nl) n, memorie (nl), retentievermogen n
Finnish: muistaminen (fi)
German: Behalten n
Romanian: memorare (ro) f, reținere (ro) f (în memorie)
Russian: сохране́ние в па́мяти n (soxranénije v pámjati)
Spanish: retentiva (es) f
Ukrainian: зберігання в пам’яті (zberihannja v pamʺjati)

a memory

Arabic: ذَاكِرَة‎ (ḏākira)
Bulgarian: памет (bg) f (pamet)
Dutch: herinnering (nl), memorie (nl)
Polish: pamięć (pl) m
Romanian: memorie (ro) f, amintire (ro) f
Russian: па́мять (ru) f (pámjatʹ)
Spanish: recuerdo (es) m

the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces

Bulgarian: задържане n (zadǎržane)
Dutch: retentie (nl)
French: rétention (fr) f
Italian: ritenzione f
Russian: задержа́ние (ru) n (zaderžánije), удержа́ние (ru) n (uderžánije)
Spanish: retención (es) f

right to withhold a debt

right to retain property until a debt is paid

French: droit de rétention m

portion of any potiential damage that must be paid for by the holder of an insurance policy

Danish: selvrisiko c

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

German: ^{(please verify)} Erinnerung (de)
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} akılda tutma

Anagrams

enter into, intertone, tontineer