From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishretainre‧tain /rɪˈteɪn/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb [transitive] formal 1 KEEP/CONTINUE TO HAVEto keep something or continue to have something You have the right to retain possession of the goods. The state wants to retain control of food imports.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say keep rather than retain:Keep all your receipts.2 to store or keep something inside something else A lot of information can be retained in your computer. Limestone is known to retain moisture.3 to remember information I find it very difficult to retain facts.4 PAY FORif you retain a lawyer or other specialist, you pay them to work for you now and in the future He has retained a lawyer to challenge the court’s decision. We had to pay a retaining fee (=an amount of money to keep someone working for you).5 if a company retains workers, it continues to employ them for a long time It’s increasingly difficult to recruit and retain good staff.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
retain• It's important that you retain a sense of proportion when you're feeling depressed.• For some one who worked in what she believed to be such a hard-nosed profession he retained a sensitive streak.• The treaty would not allow any country to produce, acquire, or retain chemical weapons.• It is suggested that you retain copies of the documents for at least three years.• Robertson retained his post as Minister of Information.• 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.• Children would retain more if the summer vacation were shorter.• The town has retained much of its country charm.• Only four members of the original marketing team will be retained next year.• Florian's relatives will retain rights to the property.• Schools around the state say they're having a hard time attracting and retaining teachers, especially in certain fields.• The new design will be more modern, while retaining the graceful shape of the original.• However, some have retained the more traditional method of charging commission on transactions only.• The Commission retains the services of consultants in specialized fields.• The rims of the eyes also have this same bright blue, and they retain this coloration in the adult stage.From Longman Business Dictionaryretainre‧tain /rɪˈteɪn/ verb [transitive]1to keep something or to continue to have itA duplicate copy of the invoice will be retained for record purposes.Following the merger, the family willretain a 1.9% stake in the company.2HUMAN RESOURCES to continue to employ people after a company has changed ownership, reduced in size etcThe new company retained all the staff employed at the time of the takeover.3if a company retains a lawyer or other specialist, it pays them to do work for it, now or in the futureThe company will retain an auditing firm for six months to review its business practices.→ See Verb tableOrigin retain (1300-1400) Old French retenir, from Latin retinere, from tenere “to hold” 