What does "retention" mean?

1. (keeping employees or customers) the ability of a company to keep its employees or customers over a long time. 2. (remembering information) the ability to keep facts or images in your mind. 3. (holding back liquids) when the body keeps too much fluid or cannot release waste naturally. 4. (legal right to hold property) the legal right to keep someone else's property until they pay a debt. 5. (insurance deductible) the part of an insurance claim that you must pay yourself.

How do you use "retention"?

Often used in the compound 'staff retention' or 'customer retention'. Commonly follows the preposition 'of'.

retention

US //ɹiˈtɛnʃən// UK //ɹɪtˈɛnʃən// re·ten·tion

1 keeping employees or customers (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

the ability of a company to keep its employees or customers over a long time.

the continued possession or use of something, specifically the ability of an organisation to maintain its workforce or client base.

Example

The company offers great benefits to improve staff retention and keep talented workers.

Example

High employee retention rates are often cited as a primary indicator of a healthy corporate culture and effective management.

Usage

Often used in the compound 'staff retention' or 'customer retention'.
- maintenance
- preservation
- turnover
- loss
2 remembering information (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

the ability to keep facts or images in your mind.

the power of retaining and recalling information or experiences in the memory.

Example

Visual aids like charts can help with the retention of new information during a lecture.

Example

The study suggests that active recall techniques significantly enhance long-term retention compared to passive reading.

Usage

Commonly follows the preposition 'of'.
- memory
- recall
- forgetfulness

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3 holding back liquids (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

when the body keeps too much fluid or cannot release waste naturally.

the abnormal or involuntary withholding of fluids or waste products within the body.

Example

Eating too much salt can lead to water retention and make your ankles swell.

Example

The patient was admitted with acute urinary retention, requiring immediate catheterization to prevent kidney damage.
- withholding
- discharge
- release
4 legal right to hold property (n.)
C2 Proficiency Formal Technical Law

the legal right to keep someone else's property until they pay a debt.

the right to withhold property or assets until a specific debt or obligation is discharged.

Example

The garage exercised its right of retention until the car repairs were paid in full.

Example

The contract included a retention clause, allowing the client to withhold a percentage of the payment until the project reached final completion.
- lien
- detention
5 insurance deductible (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical

the part of an insurance claim that you must pay yourself.

the portion of a risk or potential loss that an insured person or company handles themselves rather than transferring to an insurer.

Example

The firm decided to increase its self-insured retention to lower the monthly premium.

Example

By opting for a higher retention, the corporation significantly reduced its annual insurance overhead while assuming greater direct risk.
- deductible
- excess

Origin

From Middle English retencioun, borrowed from Latin retentiō, retentiōnis, from retentus, the perfect passive participle of retineō (“retain”) (from re- (“back, again”) + teneō (“hold, keep”)).