WordGarden.ioretention
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪtˈɛnʃən/
US
- /riˈtɛnʃən/
Meanings
Noun
the continued keeping, possession, or maintenance of something
the continued remembering of learned information
the continued keeping of employees, customers, or members by an organization
More meaningsFewer meanings
the continued enrollment of students in a school or program
the abnormal holding of urine, fluid, or other substances in the body
the keeping of data or records for later use or compliance
Beyond the definition
Retention isn't just about memorizing facts for a test; it's the ability to keep something over time. Think of a leaky bucket: good retention means fewer holes, so more water (or knowledge) stays inside. A company might worry about employee retention, meaning how long it can keep its best workers happy and on board. A business may also focus on customer retention, trying to keep people coming back. Whether you're remembering a skill, keeping loyal customers, or holding on to important information, retention is about not losing what matters.
Retention refers to the act of keeping something over a period of time, whether that is information, employees, customers, or even physical materials. It is about stopping things from being lost, forgotten, or taken away.
In education and psychology, retention often appears in discussions of memory. "Long-term retention" describes how well we remember something after a long delay. Techniques like spaced repetition are designed to improve information retention. But the idea goes far beyond the classroom.
Businesses often focus on customer retention, which means keeping existing customers happy so they continue to buy products or services. Similarly, employee retention refers to an organization's ability to keep valuable employees from leaving for other opportunities. A high level of employee retention is often seen as a sign of a healthy and positive work environment.
Retention also applies to physical things and formal records. Water retention describes the body holding onto excess fluids. In business, law, and administration, record retention or data retention refers to keeping documents or information for a required amount of time. Museums and archives also work to preserve materials so they remain available in the future.
So whether it's knowledge in your mind, customers for a business, important staff, or records from the past, retention is all about keeping things available over time and preventing unnecessary loss.
Examples
- 1
Study habits
Daily review is important for long-term retention.
- 2
Vocabulary learning
The teacher changed her lessons to improve students' retention of new vocabulary.
- 3
Workplace
The company is struggling with employee retention in its busiest stores.
- 4
Customer loyalty
Good customer service can make a big difference in customer retention.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Data policy
The app's data retention policy says inactive accounts are deleted after two years.
- Phrasedata retention policy
rules about how long information is kept
- 6
Medical symptom
The doctor said the swelling was caused by water retention.
- Domainwater retention
when the body keeps too much water
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- memory retention
- customer retention
- employee retention
- data retention
Word family
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Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- retentionnoun
Forms
- retentionspluralnoun