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)

1. The act of retaining or something retained
   • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv], page 95:

     No woman's heart / So big, to hold so much; they lack retention.

2. The act or power of remembering things
3. A memory; what is retained in the mind
4. (medicine) The involuntary withholding of urine and faeces
5. (medicine) The length of time an individual remains in treatment
6. (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:

     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;

7. (obsolete) The act of withholding; restraint; reserve.
   • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 79:

     His life I gave him, and did thereto add / My love without retention or restraint,

8. (obsolete) A place of custody or confinement.
9. (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

10. (insurance) The portion of a potential damage that must be paid for by the holder of an insurance policy.

Derived terms

• colour retention agent
• deposit interest retention tax
• hydraulic retention time
• lake retention time
• retention basin
• retention line
• retention pond
• retention tank
• silver retention

 

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)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 留用 (zh)

• Danish: fastholdelse c
• 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 (uk) (zberihannja)

the act or power of remembering things; memory

• Arabic: حِفْظ (ḥifẓ)
• Bulgarian: запомняне n (zapomnjane)
• Danish: erindring c
• Dutch: geheugen (nl) n, herinneringsvermogen (nl) n, memorie (nl), retentievermogen n
• Finnish: muistaminen (fi)
• German: Erinnerung (de) f, 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)
• Danish: erindring c, minde n
• Dutch: herinnering (nl), memorie (nl)
• Finnish: muisto (fi)
• German: Erinnerung (de) f
• 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

• Arabic: أُسْر m (ʔusr)
• Bulgarian: задържане n (zadǎržane)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Dutch: retentie (nl)
• Finnish: ummetus (fi), umpi
• French: rétention (fr) f
• German: Verhalt m
• Italian: ritenzione f
• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: задержа́ние (ru) n (zaderžánije), удержа́ние (ru) n (uderžánije)
• Spanish: retención (es) f
• Swedish: please add this translation if you can

right to withhold a debt

• Finnish: pidätysoikeus

right to retain property until a debt is paid

• Finnish: pidätysoikeus
• 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
• Finnish: omavastuu (fi)

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

• Turkish: ^{(please verify)} akılda tutma

Anagrams

• enter into, intertone, tontineer