retained 1 of 2

adjective

as in possessed

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retained

2 of 2

verb

past tense of retain
1
as in kept
to continue to have in one's possession or power I plan to retain the family heirlooms until my own children are mature enough to appreciate them, and then I will lovingly pass them on

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2
as in owned
to keep, control, or experience as one's own that author retains the right to veto any changes in his books suggested by his publisher's notoriously intrusive editor

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3
as in employed
to provide with a paying job her neighbor retained her as a nanny for the summer, thus giving her something to do until school started again

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of retained
Adjective
No Kansas justice has ever been non-retained. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
Verb
West Ham also retained club captain Jarrod Bowen, Taty Castellanos and Konstantinos Mavropanos, while Arne Engels, Manor Solomon, Joel Piroe and Divine Mukasa were their headline summer additions. — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Impressively, Fever retained the Dax's single-channel front ABS system by machining custom wheel-speed sensor discs and fabricating mounts for both the ABS module and the factory tip-over sensor. — New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026 Yet others retained their eligibility, such as Graham’s husband, who hadn’t cast a ballot in Israel in four decades. — Natasha Mozgovaya, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 The difference stems from the amount of data that was exposed versus what was retained. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 By refusing to unload the cupboard for Da’Aaron Fox when the Kings were shopping him before the February 2025 trade deadline, the Heat retained the first-round inventory needed to make the Antetokounmpo trade. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026 That would allow King to be retained by the team but not count toward the team’s 53-man active roster limit. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Aug. 2026 However, the Venezuelan native still faces deportation and has retained an attorney. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The current seller has retained much of the original design while presenting the penthouse as a potential canvas for renovation, according to the Christie’s representative. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained
  1. possessed
  2. kept
  3. owned
  4. employed
  5. held
  6. had
  7. hired
  8. preserved
Adjective
  • Religious horror films offer narratives of meaning, mystery, and morality, shaping how power, belief, and the body—both pure and possessed—are understood.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
  • But no homes are so possessed with pottery of the truly enormous variety as Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus, whose Portuguese farmhouse appears on the cover of our June issue.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 May 2026
Definition of possessed
Verb
  • Production was kept under wraps entirely; Cohen reportedly showed up in character at Wimbledon this year without tipping off the film’s existence.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The 10-play scoring drive was possible in part because of a 17-yard pass from Hyppolite to Ty Hayes on fourth and 5 that kept the possession alive and moved them into the red zone.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of kept
Verb
  • Palisades nuclear power plant The Palisades nuclear power plant is located five miles away from South Haven, Michigan, and was owned by CMS Energy before its sale in 2007.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Romo also must pay $834, and an ignition interlock device must be installed on any vehicle owned or operated by Romo or registered in his name for a minimum of one year.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of owned
Verb
  • The Dispatch reported that an EMCC Athletics representative would not confirm whether Stephens remains employed by the school in another capacity.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Chicago police employed 1,102 total detectives as of May 2023, and 1,163 as of last week.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of employed
Verb
  • The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.
    — Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
    — Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025
Definition of held
Verb
  • Three victims had serious injuries but were in stable condition, while two others had minor injuries.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • When the islanders first got their phones back while in Fiji, Melanie had a video call with her sister in an unseen clip.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of had
Verb
  • Tissot hired a hygienist who confirmed his finding of elevated lead levels in Tissot’s own home.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Cousy sat out the next six seasons before getting hired as head coach of the Cincinnati Royals in 1969.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of hired
Verb
  • This design is directly inspired by a historic Leroy tact watch created in 1810, today preserved at the Patek Philippe Museum.
    — Carol Besler, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Information that cannot be efficiently retrieved eventually becomes difficult to use, regardless of how carefully it was preserved.
    — Beth Worthy, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of preserved

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retained
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Cite this Entry

“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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