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 a patient 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