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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
retain
verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
keep/retain a sense of sth
▪ Throughout it all she retained her sense of fun.
keep/retain customers
▪ Keeping prices low helps to retain customers.
retain a majorityformal (= keep a majority)
▪ They were able to retain an absolute majority of seats.
retaining wall
retain/lose your dignity
▪ Old people need to retain their dignity and independence.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
still
▪ They now rely less on naff novelties and more on structure and nuance, while still retaining an Alec Gilroy-sense of showbiz.
▪ He still retains ownership of the name and uses it for his production company.
▪ The pectoral fins are now of little use, though the fish still retains them.
▪ The performances still retain uncommon appeal.
▪ Whole milk contains fat, so a better choice that still retains the calcium content is semi-skimmed or skimmed milk.
▪ You can make shortcuts to the shortcut and still retain the link to the original.
■ NOUN
character
▪ Holyrood Tavern A completely refurbished tavern which still retains much of the character of the old pub.
▪ The fine Byzantine church was considerably restored in the nineteenth century, but retains its original character.
▪ Efforts to retain the character of the original building externally extended to a decision not to clean the brickwork.
▪ The new owners of the seventeenth century hotel have pledged to retain its charm and character.
▪ Although redesigned, the cockpit is obviously supposed to retain the character of the old 911.
▪ Because they retain their leg-like character and since their positional value is changed from proximal to distal, toes form.
▪ Despite so much rebuilding, Turku Cathedral, like that at Trondheim, retains its Medieval character as well as a national one.
▪ Throughout the century, these households retained the military character that was at the core of their lord's authority.
control
▪ But such an alliance is unlikely given each country's desire to retain control over its own module.
▪ At the same time, Mr Schwartz will retain control over the new space venture, a business that excites him.
▪ I tell Opposition Members that we shall not give way; we shall retain control over public spending.
▪ The senior branch of the family retained unbroken control of the first secretaryship of state for another two generations.
▪ It was vital to retain control.
▪ The National Park Service will retain control of open spaces.
▪ The greater trust a manager places in subordinates, the less control he retains himself.
▪ The government would retain control of the transmission subsidiary.
dignity
▪ It deserves to retain its dignity and to escape trivialisation.
▪ So long as people can walk out of a room and say they have decided to leave on their terms, they retain their dignity.
▪ Only James Callaghan, reshuffled after devaluation in 1967, retained enough dignity to rise again to the top.
government
▪ The state government retains the right to license other operators to run passenger and freight trains over the country rail network.
▪ The government would retain control of the transmission subsidiary.
▪ Central government would retain control of defence, foreign relations, economic policy and other specified fields.
▪ Confederation A confederation is an association in which states delegate some power to a supranational central government but retain primary power.
▪ Central government retains some direct powers in relation to the police.
▪ But again the government retained extensive administrative powers to give it a free hand in dealing with radical writers and journalists.
▪ The government would retain ownership of the land but would sell logging rights and existing infrastructure.
▪ The Government will retain a 49 % share in the company, with the airlines taking 46 %.
identity
▪ In the face of fame the Bavarian has managed to retain his identity, keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
▪ But the colors, too, never blend, and retain their individual identity.
▪ During this process gods worshipped in the same animal eventually fused together, while other retained a separate identity.
▪ These people want to accept each other and live alongside each other, yet retain their identity.
▪ Some family businesses, on the other hand, must stay small to retain their dynamism and identity.
▪ But the unit will retain a distinctive identity by having tan berets.
▪ The institutions which joined would retain their identity and members would retain their existing designations as well as receive new ones.
▪ Counselling in this case helped a client to retain his sense of identity and purpose.
independence
▪ Nevertheless, an important group of family firms retained their independence, and others have entered the industry since that time.
▪ The news division was to retain its independence and integrity under the new owner as it had under the old.
▪ Agnes E lived alone, had reached her ninetieth year and had retained her independence of mind.
▪ Even so, the system on board the spacecraft retained some independence should contact with ground control be lost.
▪ The easiest and least expensive way to retain your freedom and independence.
▪ It's also very necessary to retain independence on both sides.
▪ Yet even the post-classical trust retained its independence of a testamentary heir.
interest
▪ He retained an interest in mineralogy and served as president of the Mineralogical Society 1888-91.
▪ Time retains a minority interest in Omnimedia and will continue to distribute the magazine, which it had published since 1991.
▪ The backs are still young and should mostly be available in 1995 if they can retain their interest.
▪ When the accused appropriates, he will have stolen the property from the person who retained the interest in the property.
▪ Although out of farming, he had retained his interest in Clydesdales and was in demand as a show ring judge.
▪ To the extent that social research more generally has retained an interest in social reform this has been redirected in various ways.
▪ If this can be created and kept constantly alive, streets will retain a great deal of interest for years to come.
▪ For though the factor of change is essential to retain interest, it is the thing most guaranteed to destroy unity.
party
▪ The Liberal Democratic Party has retained power for much of the past half-century.
▪ Under the Moynihan bill, injured parties would still retain the right to sue in cases of drunk driving.
▪ Political parties retain the same name over long periods, implying sameness of identity.
▪ In such ways the party retains ultimate control over appointments, transfers, promotions and discipline.
▪ The candidates of the main parties are selected locally, though the national party in each case retains some veto power.
▪ With an anti-immigrant message appealing principally to racist working-class males, the party nevertheless retained an antisemitic ideology.
▪ No one can tell whether a corrupt and collapsing Communist party can retain any share in power.
place
▪ But whatever happens, the ward will retain an important place in training.
▪ Middlesbrough Mohawks travel to second-placed Oldham today as they bid to retain their eighth place in the league.
▪ There can be no doubt that Sewell's efforts in assisting Palace to retain that place in Division One were magnificent.
▪ We also value our school sixth forms, and will ensure they retain their place in the new system.
▪ Unlikely though to retain his place when Steven Gerrard is available.
▪ Inverleith retained their place in the top flight with a dramatic 7-6 victory over Touche Ross in the final game.
▪ The new Shogun comfortably retains its place in the market, and bargain prices will continue to be hard to find.
▪ He also retained his place on the council of the king.
position
▪ Martin Saunders retains the full back position for the hastily arranged game at Middlesbrough, which kicks off at noon.
▪ He is responsible for all sales operations and administration functions and retain his position as Norstan treasurer.
▪ It means Jim Courier retains the pole position he's held for all but 12 weeks of 1992.
▪ The draft retains the abortion rights position of the 1992 platform, but adds language suggested by abortion opponent Rep.
▪ The grid states nothing about the degree to which investment is necessary to retain star position or sufficient to build competitive advantage.
▪ But Field probably will not retain the defensive coordinator position he held for 14 years under Terry Donahue, the source said.
▪ Only left half forward Niall Guiden retains the position he occupied against Donegal in the league final replay.
▪ That he was prepared to do so to retain his position was, in itself, a sign of changing times.
post
▪ Robertson retained his post as Minister of Information.
▪ He has retained his post at the imperial court in Hue.
▪ No doubt it was easier to reform it with Dzerzhihsky nut of Moscow, although he retained his post as head.
▪ Nim retained his post as Vice-Minister of National Defence.
▪ Gen. Oscar Botero, the Defence Minister under the previous regime, was retained in his post.
▪ Cardoso de Mello retained her post.
power
▪ The Liberal Democratic Party has retained power for much of the past half-century.
▪ Confederation A confederation is an association in which states delegate some power to a supranational central government but retain primary power.
▪ We insisted that we should retain our power to stop the export of live horses.
▪ Since then, Gingrich has retained power on the inside, but he stopped making high-profile appearances.
▪ The candidates of the main parties are selected locally, though the national party in each case retains some veto power.
▪ The view that this small and privileged class will retain its power and income is naive.
▪ However, the National Electoral Commission retained wide powers to ban potential candidates.
▪ Lenin declared in 1917, describing how the Bolsheviks planned to retain power.
seat
▪ Although Billing retained his seat at the 1918 general election, ill health forced his retirement in 1921.
▪ Hereditary peers were to be allowed to retain their seats, speak but not vote.
▪ Siumut lost votes but retained the 11 seats it held in the outgoing Landsting.
▪ He retained his seat in January 1910 but declined to stand again the following December.
▪ Parties must obviously be allowed to retain excess seats, so the membership of the Bundestag has to be increased.
▪ Labour retained their safest seat in Wear Valley with a reduced majority.
▪ He retained his seat in 1997 with a majority of 11,167 over the Liberal Democrats.
sense
▪ Despite the pressure of tomorrow's Sun local derby against Roma, Gazza has managed to retain his outrageous sense of humour.
▪ Those who retained sufficient self-respect and sense of responsibility to think of the future were filled with the deepest apprehension.
▪ And he retains the sense of wry humour which he reckons every newspaperman needs, if only to keep him sane.
▪ It is a large cathedral and its interior retains a Medieval sense of spirituality.
▪ Many couples retain their sense of injury - or perceived injury - at the hands of the other, for many years.
▪ What he had retained was the sense of an elusive mystery waiting in the heights for his return.
▪ An old person is helped to retain a sense of individuality through maintaining close relationships.
▪ It is invisible once applied and users retain full sense of touch and natural mobility of hands.
service
▪ Tottenham would retain Lineker's services for another year.
▪ When Rich learns that Jody has retained the services of a lawyer, he understands.
▪ Emphasis was to be placed on retaining commuter and rural services and routes deemed to be of value in spite of costs.
▪ One thing I am certain of after this encounter: Nico will not be bidding to retain my services.
▪ For whatever reason, the government chose to accept the case for retaining an Exchequer-financed service free at the point of use.
▪ The loan would fund both upgradings at the hospital to be retained and new community services.
status
▪ Instead they retain the status of written professional standards.
▪ Adams, meanwhile, is battling to remain among the top 125 and retain his tour exempt status.
▪ How can you retain any kind of status in that council house?
▪ They retained their status, and often jobs, in the community, and tension among relatives was relieved.
▪ The settlers were determined to retain their privileged status.
▪ For a large part of their career, employees retain the same job status and pay, and are not promoted.
▪ States remain important global actors but their struggle to retain independent status precludes solutions to global problems.
▪ Smaller friendly societies also have a very good reason to retain their status.
title
▪ Derry were the last county to retain their Ulster title in 1976, so in a sense history is against Donegal.
▪ McGinn will retain the title of president.
▪ Karpov took game 22 and needed one more win to level the score and retain his title.
▪ A lease can often be obtained more easily than a loan can be arranged because the lessor retains title to the asset.
▪ Jaffa are sending a party of 50 who could all play a part in the bid to retain the title.
▪ But the elder Kim retained the military title of Marshal.
▪ Thomas Hearns did so twice in June of this year, but Leonard managed to retain his super-middleweight title with a draw.
▪ But whether he retains his title may be doubtful.
■ VERB
allow
▪ Hereditary peers were to be allowed to retain their seats, speak but not vote.
▪ But this might allow them to be retained, when other class affiliations are lost.
▪ The New Democratic party won 13 seats, which allows them to retain their official party standing.
▪ There is a certain amount you are allowed to retain before income tax becomes applicable.
▪ Parties must obviously be allowed to retain excess seats, so the membership of the Bundestag has to be increased.
▪ More practices might consider a prescribing contract alone if they were allowed to retain a percentage of the savings.
▪ Zhao himself remained under investigation, although he had reportedly been allowed to retain his party membership.
▪ This prevents personal discussions and arguments developing freely and allows the Chair to retain control of the meeting.
help
▪ Such honesty, reflected in pay arrangements, helps the company retain good executives.
▪ Only the ever-present threat of them helped the peasants to retain part of the liberties and advantages that they had earlier acquired.
▪ An old person is helped to retain a sense of individuality through maintaining close relationships.
▪ These work-force-centered benefits helped businesses retain their most valuable employees.
▪ Our service staff have also been working hard to ensure the highest standards in difficult times and to help retain our customers.
▪ I would think this would help one retain more.
▪ Perhaps metre is one of the factors which help the mind retain sound patterns, and therefore aids the memory.
▪ It helped him to retain a positive attitude if he felt he was doing something constructive.
manage
▪ Despite the pressure of tomorrow's Sun local derby against Roma, Gazza has managed to retain his outrageous sense of humour.
▪ But no matter how much geography changes in the sprawling Old Pueblo, the site still manages to retain its cottonwood-laced charm.
▪ Headway Pre-Intermediate has managed to retain all the best features of the Headway series at pre-intermediate level.
▪ The Lake District has managed to retain an atmosphere of remoteness, peace and beauty.
▪ And if you manage to retain all of your marbles, you might possibly be as street-sussed as Donny Osmond.
▪ Thomas Hearns did so twice in June of this year, but Leonard managed to retain his super-middleweight title with a draw.
▪ In the face of fame the Bavarian has managed to retain his identity, keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
▪ However, he manages to retain his honour up to his death which is an indication of his strong character and resilience.
want
▪ Little wonder more organisations who want to retain and develop key staff are moving to the Open Business School.
▪ Some members want to retain the historic name.
▪ She also wanted to retain her own surname, separate bank accounts and tax returns.
▪ Symington, of course, wants to retain control of those dollars.
▪ Users, he says, are not prepared to see Microsoft alone dominating the marketplace, and want to retain a choice.
▪ They may wish to raise additional equity capital but want to retain voting control.
▪ That is an unfair responsibility to impose on institutions that will not want to retain holdings in all 10 authorities.
wish
▪ Bobbio, like Schumpeter and Dahl, wishes to retain the competitive model of different parties for the peoples' vote.
▪ You may wish to retain your pension or allowance book and continue to draw your own money.
▪ Ideally the vendor will wish to retain absolute control over the way in which the business is managed.
▪ You do not need to dip into this money at regular intervals, but wish to retain it for the future.
▪ You can, of course, print any mail messages you wish to retain using 6.2.0 - Print Mail Index.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Children would retain more if the summer vacation were shorter.
▪ Florian's relatives will retain rights to the property.
▪ It's important that you retain a sense of proportion when you're feeling depressed.
▪ It is suggested that you retain copies of the documents for at least three years.
▪ Only four members of the original marketing team will be retained next year.
▪ The Commission retains the services of consultants in specialized fields.
▪ The new design will be more modern, while retaining the graceful shape of the original.
▪ The town has retained much of its country charm.
▪ The treaty would not allow any country to produce, acquire, or retain chemical weapons.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ For some one who worked in what she believed to be such a hard-nosed profession he retained a sensitive streak.
▪ However, some have retained the more traditional method of charging commission on transactions only.
▪ If a symbol does not symbolize what one thinks good or true, there can be no reason to retain it.
▪ It retained its pot-shape although the pot was gone.
▪ Robertson retained his post as Minister of Information.
▪ Schools around the state say they're having a hard time attracting and retaining teachers, especially in certain fields.
▪ The rims of the eyes also have this same bright blue, and they retain this coloration in the adult stage.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Retain

Retain \Re*tain"\, v. i.

  1. To belong; to pertain. [Obs.]

    A somewhat languid relish, retaining to bitterness.
    --Boyle.

  2. To keep; to continue; to remain. [Obs.]
    --Donne.

Retain

Retain \Re*tain"\ (r[-e]*t[=a]n"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Retained (r[-e]*t[=a]nd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Retaining.] [F. retainir, L. retinere; pref. re- re- + tenere to hold, keep. See Tenable, and cf. Rein of a bridle, Retention, Retinue.]

  1. To continue to hold; to keep in possession; not to lose, part with, or dismiss; to restrain from departure, escape, or the like. ``Thy shape invisible retain.''
    --Shak.

    Be obedient, and retain Unalterably firm his love entire.
    --Milton.

    An executor may retain a debt due to him from the testator.
    --Blackstone.

  2. To keep in pay; to employ by a preliminary fee paid; to hire; to engage; as, to retain a counselor.

    A Benedictine convent has now retained the most learned father of their order to write in its defense.
    --Addison.

  3. To restrain; to prevent. [Obs.]
    --Sir W. Temple.

    Retaining wall (Arch. & Engin.), a wall built to keep any movable backing, or a bank of sand or earth, in its place; -- called also retain wall.

    Syn: To keep; hold; restrain. See Keep.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
retain

late 14c., "hold back, restrain;" c.1400, "continue keeping, keep possession of," from Old French retenir "keep, retain; take into feudal service; hold back; remember" (12c.), from Latin retinere "hold back, keep back, detain, restrain," from re- "back" (see re-) + tenere "to hold" (see tenet). Meaning "keep (another) attached to one's person, keep in service" is from mid-15c.; specifically of lawyers from 1540s. Meaning "keep in the mind" is from c.1500. Related: Retained; retaining.

Wiktionary
retain

vb. (context transitive English) To keep in possession or use.

WordNet
retain
  1. v. hold within; "This soil retains water"; "I retain this drug for a long time"

  2. allow to remain in a place or position; "We cannot continue several servants any longer"; "She retains a lawyer"; "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"; "Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on"; "We kept the work going as long as we could" [syn: continue, keep, keep on, keep going]

  3. secure and keep for possible future use or application; "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree" [syn: hold, keep back, hold back]

  4. keep in one's mind; "I cannot retain so much information"

Wikipedia
RETAIN

RETAIN is a mainframe based database system, accessed via IBM 3270 terminals (or more likely, emulators), used internally within IBM providing service support to IBM field personnel and customers.

The acronym RETAIN stands for REmote Technical Assistance Information Network.

Usage examples of "retain".

For ourselves, while whatever in us belongs to the body of the All should be yielded to its action, we ought to make sure that we submit only within limits, realizing that the entire man is not thus bound to it: intelligent servitors yield a part of themselves to their masters but in part retain their personality, and are thus less absolutely at beck and call, as not being slaves, not utterly chattels.

The vinegar of Wood Anemone made from the leaves retains all the more acrid properties of the plant, and is put, in France, to many rural domestic purposes.

The act apparently assumed that while a member of the Cabinet acted as President he would retain his Cabinet post.

Food, as administered in the form of artificially digested and concentrated nourishment, is readily retained.

The best answer is that a brochure creates the drama of an advertisement but delivers a more complete sales message that can be retained physically as wen as mentally.

Even then, among the debris with smuts all over his face, he still retained his poise.

I find it hard to believe one orgy alumna would retain her suit when another did not.

But on the very brink of the grave she retained all her amiability, all her love of dress, and the graces and resources of a drawing-room society.

But he added a certificate upon his royal word to the effect that my crimes were greater than had ever been the crimes of any man, and that, whilst he renounced the prosecution before the courts of Aragon, he retained the right to demand of me an account of my actions before any other tribunal at any future time.

Lady Astatine was the only relative who retained critical objectivity.

Specifically, adding sufficient nickel results in the steel retaining its austenite structure at all temperatures.

Perhaps you have even guessed that my name is indeed Ali Baba, and, especially you noisy lot in the back, perhaps you forget that I once was one of the most talented of woodcutters, and have retained a facility for the exacting use of exceedingly sharp instruments.

Like the bayberry sprig, the pieces retained their true colors: blue, green, red.

Perhaps Benedict Bradbourne did not know the same sort of women as she did, those that used their brains for more than retaining gossip and planning dinner parties.

It must be that in her fullness Mrs Biggs retained a natural warmth which in its contrast to the artificiality of all else in Cambridge made its appeal.