# retain and explain

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To preserve historical material regarded as problematic (such as statues), with appropriate contextual explanation, rather than destroying it or attempting to erase it from history.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/retain-and-explain