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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Slattery will play James Leavitt, a highly experienced and formidable defense lawyer retained by City Hall to counter Jason’s class-action lawsuit. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 26 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 The board retained the high profile law firm Fried Frank, which had represented Lutnick's companies before, to assist Newmark in its search. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 In April, The Athletic reported that United still retained an interest in the midfielder. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The search for the next leader of the Chicago Police Department entered a new phase last week as the city agency responsible for vetting candidates retained an executive search firm to winnow down future applicants. — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 The move is not being billed as permanent, and Harry and Meghan have retained their Montecito, California home, as well as a vacation home in Portugal. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 24 Aug. 2026 The portal includes how long data is retained, how many vehicles have been tracked — currently 319,265 — and the number of LPRs. — Charlotte Observer, 24 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
  • Indonesian streaming platform Vidio has partnered with ReelShort, the microdrama platform owned by Crazy Maple Studio, marking ReelShort’s first entry into the Indonesian market.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Except this burger is served at a place that is locally-owned and also serves gourmet pub food with craft beers.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 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
  • In December, Nvidia bought assets from the AI chip startup for about $20 billion in its largest deal on record and hired Groq founder Jonathan Ross, president Sunny Madra and a group of engineers.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The spike in arrests comes as the agency, infused with billions of dollars last summer by Congress, has also hired 12,000 new deportation officers and investigative agents.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hired
Verb
  • Its most vivid life may be long gone, but should it be preserved — the rich history and the nostalgia?
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Salt preserved it before refrigeration, and Brittany’s exemption from the gabelle, France’s old salt tax, kept Breton butter salted as much of the country went unsalted.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of preserved

Browse Nearby Words

retain
retained
retainer
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Cite this Entry

“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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