ENGLISH
REFERENCE

retention

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ɹiˈtɛnʃən// UK //ɹɪtˈɛnʃən// re·ten·tion Archaic

n. the ability to keep or hold onto something. It often refers to a person's memory or a company keeping its employees.

n. the continued possession, use, or control of something; the power to retain or recall information. Often used in professional contexts regarding staff or customer loyalty.


SIMPLE

The company has a high employee retention rate.

CONTEXTUAL

The new training program significantly improved the retention of information among the medical students.

COMPLEX

While the marketing team focused on customer acquisition, the board argued that long-term profitability depended entirely on the retention of existing subscribers through better service.

Synonyms
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”)).

Usage

Frequently used in business and psychology; often followed by the preposition 'of'.

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