Which definition best describes the word retain?

• A. to hold or keep someone or something
• B. to hire someone by paying an initial fee
• C. to remember information
• D. to abandon

Answer: (A)

Retain centers on keeping or holding onto something over time. That broad sense is the most common and foundational meaning: to have possession of an item, a person, or a situation, and to continue to keep it rather than letting it go. So the definition that says to hold or keep someone or something best matches how retain is used in everyday language, as in “The company will retain its assets” or “She retained custody of her children.”

While retain can also appear in the memory sense—meaning to remember information—that use is more about mentally keeping something in mind, which is narrower than the general idea of keeping or possessing. The notion of hiring someone by paying an initial fee describes a different, specialized usage (retainer for services) and isn’t the core sense of the word. The idea of abandoning is the opposite of retain.