retention
retention
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "retention" is:
/ɹɪˈtɛnʃən/
Here's a breakdown of the sounds by syllable:
re-: /ɹɪ/
/ɹ/ - voiced alveolar approximant (the "r" sound)
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel (the short "i" sound)
-ten-: /ˈtɛn/
/ˈ/ - primary stress marker (indicates the stressed syllable)
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop (the "t" sound)
/ɛ/ - open-mid front unrounded vowel (the "e" sound in "ten")
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal (the "n" sound)
-tion: /ʃən/
/ʃ/ - voiceless postalveolar fricative (the "sh" sound)
/ə/ - mid-central vowel (schwa sound)
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal (the "n" sound)
Word Form Variations
Retention (noun, singular):
This is the base form of the word, referring to the act or state of retaining something. Examples: "water retention," "employee retention," "information retention."
Retentions (noun, plural):
While "retention" is often used in a general, uncountable sense, "retentions" can be used in specific contexts. For example, in a financial or contractual context, "retentions" might refer to multiple instances or amounts of withheld funds.
Related Forms:
Retain (verb): This is the verb from which "retention" is derived. It means to hold or keep.
Retentive (adjective): This describes something that has the ability to retain, such as "a retentive memory."
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun:
Definition 1:
The act or capability of keeping something; the continued possession or maintenance of something.
Synonyms: holding, keeping, preservation, maintenance, possession, storage, custody.
Antonyms: loss, release, relinquishment, disposal, expulsion.
Definition 2:
The ability to remember or recall information.
Synonyms: memory, recall, remembrance, recollection, retentiveness.
Antonyms: forgetfulness, amnesia, oblivion.
Definition 3:
The act of withholding something. Especially funds, until a condition has been met.
Synonyms: withholding, detainment, holding back, reservation.
Antonyms: disbursement, release, payment.
Adjective:
Retentive:
Definition: Having the capacity or tendency to retain something.
Synonyms: absorbent, tenacious, holding, preserving, adhesive.
Antonyms: leaky, releasing, porous, forgetful.
Example: "A retentive memory."
Verb:
Retain:
Definition: To continue to have something; to keep possession of.
Synonyms: keep, hold, preserve, maintain, possess, withhold.
Antonyms: lose, release, relinquish, discard, expel.
Example: "The company aims to retain its best employees."
Important Notes:
"Retention" is primarily used as a noun.
The adjective "retentive" and the verb "retain" are closely related and essential for understanding the full scope of the concept.
It is not common to see "retention" used as an adverb.
Examples of Use
1. Business and Employment:
Employee Retention:
"The company is focusing on improving employee retention through better benefits and career development." (General business discourse)
"The program boasts a strong retention rate for the industry, with more than 40% of RiseHy hires still with the company." (Fortune,1 2023)
"Teacher retention also hit a nine-year high this year with 87.6% of teachers returning to the same school year to year."2 (Chicago Tribune, 2023)
Customer Retention:
"In fact, client retention is what builds the foundation for a company's growth." (Rolling Stone, 2023)
2. Technology and Data:
Data Retention:
"Data retention policies are crucial for compliance with privacy regulations." (Online publications related to technology and law)
Memory Retention:
"But that's a lot of memory retention every day for two months—and then for however long the movie takes." (The New Yorker, 2024)
3. Environmental and Engineering:
Water Retention:
"The rock channel brings the water around to the back of the home where there is a stormwater retention pond that was built with rock found on site."3 (Sunset Magazine, 2022)
"The 22-inch bowl is porcelain-enameled for great heat retention while the grates are cast iron." (Better Homes & Gardens, 2023)
Retention ponds:
"This can be a storm drain, retention pond, or simply a safe spot away from your home." (Better Homes & Gardens, 2022)
4. Health and Biology:
Fluid Retention:
"Other factors, such as age, fluid retention, and stress, are more likely to cause weight gain than the pill." (Health, 2024)
"They say the herb promotes memory retention." (Better Homes & Gardens, 2023)
5. Finance:
Financial retentions:
"Retentions are frequently used in sale agreements where there are possible matters outstanding." (Collins Dictionary)
10 Famous Quotes Using Retention
"The true art of memory is the art of attention; retention depends on it." — Samuel Johnson
"Knowledge is not what is memorized. Knowledge is what is understood, and retention comes through understanding." — Socrates (attributed)
"The retention of old values is as necessary as the acceptance of new ones." — Jawaharlal Nehru
"The key to retention is not the brilliance of the teacher but the involvement of the student." — John Dewey
"Loyalty and retention are not programs; they are the natural result of respect." — Richard Branson
"Customer retention is the new acquisition." — Marc Andreessen
"Retention is best secured by what is often least thought of — repetition." — Aristotle
"The retention of employees depends on the respect shown to them as people, not just as producers." — Mary Kay Ash
"Leadership is not about being in charge, it is about taking care of those in your charge — and that care drives retention." — Simon Sinek
"Retention of youthful enthusiasm is the key to remaining young in spirit." — Albert Schweitzer
Etymology
The Roots:
Latin Origins: The word "retention" comes directly from the Latin word "retentio."
"Retentio" Breakdown:
"re-" means "back" or "again."
"tenere" means "to hold."
"-tio" is a suffix that forms a noun of action or state.
Putting It Together:
So, "retentio" literally meant "a holding back" or "a keeping." This core meaning of "holding" is what we see in the modern word.
How It Evolved:
The Latin "retentio" moved into Old French as "retencion," and then into Middle English as "retencioun."
The English word "retention" kept the same basic meaning of "holding" or "keeping," but its use expanded to cover various contexts, such as:
Keeping information in memory.
Holding onto employees in a company.
Withholding fluids in the body.
Holding back funds in a contract.
First Known Use:
While pinning down the very first use is difficult, the word began to show up in Middle English texts, and the use of the word has grown through the years, as different industries and sciences have formed.
In essence:
"Retention" is about the act of "holding again" or "keeping back." It's a word that has maintained its core meaning throughout its journey from Latin to modern English.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Retention
"Retention" isn't a word that lends itself to a lot of common idioms and phrases in the same way that, say, "time" or "money" does. This is because it's a relatively formal and technical term. However, we can explore its usage and find some related expressions:
Direct Uses (Less Idiomatic, More Phrases):
Employee retention: This is a very common phrase in business, referring to keeping employees.
Customer retention: Similar to the above, used in marketing and sales to refer to keeping customers.
Data retention: Used in technology and law to refer to how long data is kept.
Water retention: A common phrase in health, referring to the body holding onto excess fluid.
Memory retention: Refers to the ability to remember information.
Retention policy: A formal term, used in business and technology, referring to rules about keeping information.
Retention pond: Refers to a man made pond used to hold storm runoff.
Why It's Difficult:
"Retention" is often used in formal, technical, or business contexts, not in everyday, figurative language.
It's a noun of action, which tends to be less common in idioms than nouns of things or verbs.
Supplementing with Related Concepts and Synonyms:
Since direct idioms are scarce, we can look at idioms related to "keeping," "holding," or "remembering":
"Hold onto something": This is a very common idiom meaning to keep something. (Synonymous with "retain")
"Hold something dear": To keep something very important. (Related to the idea of retaining value)
"Keep something in mind": To remember something. (Related to memory retention)
"Stick in one's mind/memory": To be easily remembered. (Related to memory retention)
"To have a memory like an elephant": To have a very good memory. (Related to memory retention)
"To keep something close to ones chest": to retain secret information.
"To hold fast": to retain ones grip, or opinion.
Original Phrases:
"Retention of the moment": Referencing the effort to hold onto the present moment.
"Retention of peace": The act of maintaining a peaceful state.
"Retention of skill": The act of maintaining learned abilities.
While "retention" itself doesn't feature in many idioms, the concepts it represents are common in figurative language
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of retention from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
