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5 dictionary results for: retentive

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

re·ten·tive

[ri-ten-tiv] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	tending or serving to retain something.

2.	having power or capacity to retain.

3.	having power or ability to remember; having a good memory.

[Origin: 1325–75; ME retentif < MF < ML retentīvus, equiv. to L retent(us) (see retention) + -īvus -ive

]

—Related forms

re·ten·tive·ly, adverb

re·ten·tive·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

re·ten·tive (rĭ-těn'tĭv) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Having the quality, power, or capacity of retaining.
Having the ability or capacity to retain knowledge or information with ease: a retentive memory.

re·ten'tive·ly adv., re·ten'tive·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

retentive
adjective
1.	good at remembering; "a retentive mind"; "tenacious memory" [ant: forgetful]
2.	having the capacity to retain something
3.	having the power, capacity, or quality of retaining water; "soils retentive of moisture"