retention
8 synonyms and 2 antonyms for retention, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The ability to hold onto or remember information.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
The ability to hold onto or remember information.
“Repetition improves retention when studying new vocabulary.”
How to use retention
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
water retention
staff retention
data retention
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”)).
Full origin of retention →Frequently asked questions
What does “retention” mean?
The word “retention” means the ability to hold onto or remember information. In plain terms, holding onto something — knowledge, people, or, medically, fluid in the body.
How do you pronounce “retention”?
“Retention” is pronounced rih-TEHN-shuhn (/ɹɪˈtɛnʃən/ in IPA).
How do you use “retention” in a sentence?
Here is “retention” used in a sentence: “Repetition improves retention when studying new vocabulary.”
What part of speech is “retention”?
“Retention” is a noun.
Is “retention” a common word?
“Retention” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
How many meanings does “retention” have?
“Retention” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the ability to hold onto or remember information.
What is the difference between retention and memory?
Retention refers to the ability to hold onto or remember information over time, while memory is the broader mental faculty that includes storing, retaining, and recalling information. Retention is essentially one function within the larger system of memory.
What is water retention?
Water retention, also called fluid retention, is a build-up of fluid in the body that isn't being properly released, often causing swelling. It reflects the medical sense of retention as something being held in the body rather than expelled.
What does employee retention mean in business?
Employee retention refers to a company's ability to keep its staff rather than losing them to other jobs, matching the general sense of retention as the keeping of employees, customers, or something else that might otherwise be lost. High retention usually signals good workplace satisfaction, while low retention signals turnover problems.
