retention
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See also: rétention
English
Etymology
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”)).
Pronunciation
Noun
retention (countable and uncountable, plural retentions)
- The act of retaining or something retained.
- c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 95:
- No woman's heart / So big, to hold so much; they lack retention.
- The act or power of remembering things.
- A memory; what is retained in the mind.
- (medicine) The involuntary withholding of urine and faeces.
- (medicine) The length of time a patient remains in treatment.
- (obsolete) That which contains something, as a tablet; a means of preserving impressions.
- 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 122”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. , London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:
- Thy gift, thy tables, are within my brain
Full character’d with lasting memory,
[…]
That poor retention could not so much hold,
Nor need I tallies thy dear love to score;
- (obsolete) The act of withholding; restraint; reserve.
- c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 79:
- His life I gave him, and did thereto add / My love without retention or restraint,
- (obsolete) A place of custody or confinement.
- (law) The right to withhold a debt, or of retaining property until a debt due to the person claiming the right is duly paid; a lien.
- 1754, John Erskine of Carnock, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
- The right of retention, which bears a near resemblance to compensation, is chiefly competent where the mutual debts, not being liquid, cannot be the ground of compensation
- (insurance) The portion of a potential damage that must be paid for by the holder of an insurance policy.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
the act of retaining or something retained
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the act or power of remembering things; memory
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a memory
the involuntary withholding of urine and faeces
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right to withhold a debt
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right to retain property until a debt is paid
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portion of any potiential damage that must be paid for by the holder of an insurance policy
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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