# retain

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɹɪˈteɪn/ · frequency rank #5,541

## Definitions
1. Often followed by from: to hold back (someone or something); to check, to prevent, to restrain, to stop.
2. Often followed by from: to hold back (someone or something); to check, to prevent, to restrain, to stop.
3. Of a thing: to hold or keep (something) inside it; to contain.
4. Of a thing: to hold or keep (something) inside it; to contain.
5. To hold (something) secure; to prevent (something) from becoming detached or separated.
6. To keep (something) in control or possession; to continue having (something); to keep back.
7. To keep (something) in control or possession; to continue having (something); to keep back.
8. To keep (something) in place or use, instead of removing or abolishing it; to preserve.
9. To engage or hire (someone), especially temporarily.
10. To engage or hire (someone), especially temporarily.
11. To keep (someone) in one's pay or service; also, (chiefly historical) to maintain (someone) as a dependent or follower.
12. To control or restrain (oneself); to exercise self-control over (oneself).
13. To keep (someone) in custody; to prevent (someone) from leaving.
14. To declare (a sin) not forgiven.
15. To keep in control or possession; to continue having.
16. To have the ability to keep something in the mind; to use the memory.
17. Of a body or body organ: to hold back tissue or a substance.
18. To refrain from doing something.
19. To be a dependent or follower to someone.
20. To continue, to remain.

## Etymology
From Late Middle English reteinen, retein (“to continue to keep, retain; to continue to possess; to possess; to contain; to draw back, retire; to hold back, restrain; to keep in mind, remember; to take back, repossess; to appoint; to engage in one’s service, employ, hire”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman reteiner, retenir [and other forms], Middle French retenir, and Old French retenir (“to keep back, retain; to keep, maintain, preserve; to possess; to engage in one’s service, employ; to detain; to hold back, restrain; to remember”) (modern French retenir), from Vulgar Latin *retinīre, from Latin retinēre, the present active infinitive of retineō (“to keep or hold back, detain, retain; to hold in check, stop; to hold fast, maintain; to keep in mind, remember”) (compare Late Latin retineō (“to keep engaged in one’s service”)), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) + teneō (“to grasp, hold; to hold fast, restrain; to possess; to keep in mind, remember”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to extend, stretch”)).
Etymology 1 sense 1.10 (“to declare (a sin) not forgiven”) is derived from John 20:23 in the Bible, in Late Latin quorum retinueritis, retenta sunt, and in Koine Greek ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται: see the 1526 quotation.
Cognates
* Catalan retenir
* Italian retenere (obsolete), ritenere
* Portuguese reter
* Spanish retener

## Easily confused with
- **return** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retain-vs-return)
- **retina** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retain-vs-retina)
- **retard** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retain-vs-retard)
- **retake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retain-vs-retake)
- **retains** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retain-vs-retains)
- **rethink** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retain-vs-rethink)
- **retained** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retain-vs-retained)
- **retainer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retain-vs-retainer)
- **retaking** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retain-vs-retaking)
- **rain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rain-vs-retain)
- **rein** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rein-vs-retain)
- **resin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/resin-vs-retain)
- **Regan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/regan-vs-retain)
- **remain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/remain-vs-retain)
- **retail** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retail-vs-retain)
- **repair** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/repair-vs-retain)
- **regain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/regain-vs-retain)
- **repaid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/repaid-vs-retain)
- **rejoin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rejoin-vs-retain)
- **remains** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/remains-vs-retain)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ertain`, `reatin`, `retainn`, `retani`, `retian`, `rettain`, `rretain`, `rteain`

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