retention
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“The company offers great benefits to improve staff retention and keep talented workers.”
In context“High employee retention rates are often cited as a primary indicator of a healthy corporate culture and effective management.”
UsageOften used in the compound 'staff retention' or 'customer retention'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the ability to keep facts or images in your mind.
the power of retaining and recalling information or experiences in the memory.
Simple“Visual aids like charts can help with the retention of new information during a lecture.”
In context“The study suggests that active recall techniques significantly enhance long-term retention compared to passive reading.”
UsageCommonly follows the preposition 'of'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“Eating too much salt can lead to water retention and make your ankles swell.”
In context“The patient was admitted with acute urinary retention, requiring immediate catheterization to prevent kidney damage.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
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.
Simple“The garage exercised its right of retention until the car repairs were paid in full.”
In context“The contract included a retention clause, allowing the client to withhold a percentage of the payment until the project reached final completion.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The firm decided to increase its self-insured retention to lower the monthly premium.”
In context“By opting for a higher retention, the corporation significantly reduced its annual insurance overhead while assuming greater direct risk.”
Synonyms
“Spaced, practical training combined with reduced workload pressures may improve skill uptake and retention.”
“In addition, Flock will now automatically set its license plate scan retention time to seven days, down from its existing default of 30 days.”
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”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.