retention definition | Dictionary.com

re⋅ten⋅tion

[ri-ten-shuh

–noun

1.	the act of retaining.

2.	the state of being retained.

3.	the power to retain; capacity for retaining.

4.	the act or power of remembering things; memory.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME retencion < L retentiōn- (s. of retentiō) a keeping back, equiv. to retent(us) (ptp. of retinēre to retain ) + -iōn- -ion

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To retention

re·ten·tion (rĭ-těn'shən)

1. The act of retaining.
2. The condition of being retained.
Capacity or power of retaining.
An ability to recall or recognize what has been learned or experienced; memory.
Something retained.
Involuntary withholding of bodily wastes or secretions that are normally eliminated.

[Middle English retencioun, from Old French retention, from Latin retentiō, retentiōn-, from retentus, past participle of retinēre, to retain; see retain.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Retention

Re*ten"tion\, n. [L. retentio: cf. F. r['e]tention. See Retain.]

1. The act of retaining, or the state of being ratined.

2. The power of retaining; retentiveness.

No woman's heart So big, to hold so much; they lack retention. --Shak.

3. That which contains something, as a tablet; a ???? of preserving impressions. [R.] --Shak.

4. The act of withholding; retraint; reserve. --Shak.

5. Place of custody or confinement.

6. (Law) The right of withholding a debt, or of retaining property until a debt due to the person claiming the right be duly paid; a lien. --Erskine. Craig.

Retention cyst (Med.), a cyst produced by obstruction of a duct leading from a secreting organ and the consequent retention of the natural secretions.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : retention

Spanish: retención,

German: das Zurückhalten,

Japanese: 保持

More Translations »

retention

c.1400, from L. retentionem (nom. retentio) "a retaining, a holding back," from pp. stem of retinere (see retain). Retentive is attested from c.1375, from O.Fr. retentif.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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retention

The securities that are distributed to members of an underwriting syndicate after accounting for the portion of the new issue retained for sales to institutions and members of the selling group who are not also part of the syndicate.

Main Entry: re·ten·tion
Pronunciation: ri-'ten-ch&n
Function: noun
1 : the act of retaining or the state of being retained
2 : the portion of the insurance on a particular risk not reinsured or ceded by the originating insurer

Main Entry: re·ten·tion
Pronunciation: ri-'ten-ch&n
Function: noun
1 : the act of retaining: as a : abnormalretaining of a fluid or secretion in a body cavity <retention of urine> <retention of bile> b : the holding in place of a tooth or dental replacement by meansof a retainer <retention is the fixation of a removable partial denture in the mouth in such a manner that … it may be inserted and retained with sufficient firmness —Reviewof Dentistry>
2 : a preservation of the aftereffects of experience and learning that makes recall or recognition possible

retention re·ten·tion (rĭ-těn'shən)
n.

Involuntary withholding by the body of wastes or secretions that are normally eliminated.
The holding by the body of what normally belongs in it, such as food in the stomach.
An ability to recall or recognize what has been learned or experienced; memory.
In dentistry, a period following orthodontic treatment when a patient wears an appliance or appliances to stabilize the teeth in their new position.

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