RETAINED Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

retained 1 of 2

adjective

as in possessed

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retained

2 of 2

verb

past tense of retain

as in kept

to continue to have in one's possession or power I plan to retain the family heirlooms until my own children are mature enough to appreciate them, and then I will lovingly pass them on

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as in owned

to keep, control, or experience as one's own that author retains the right to veto any changes in his books suggested by his publisher's notoriously intrusive editor

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in employed

to provide with a paying job her neighbor retained her as a nanny for the summer, thus giving her something to do until school started again

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of retained

Adjective

No Kansas justice has ever been non-retained. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026

Verb

Despite a heavy airstrike campaign and a large ground offensive, Houthi rebels have retained control over key locations and have continued launching missiles and drones at their adversaries. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 The team retained approximately 8 petabytes for scientific analysis. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026 The New York Mets (Andy Green), Boston Red Sox (Chad Tracy) and Philadelphia Phillies (Don Mattingly) have all retained their interim managers on a full-time basis. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 More sports news Boxing champion Daniel Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title with a brutal second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026 After an internal trial, the IAFF retained some charges against Escobar. — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 The hotel passed all six surface tests performed during the visit and retained its AAA Diamond designation. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 Consider healthcare, where certain records may need to be retained for years to meet regulatory requirements, even as the access model around them becomes outdated. — Nick Burling, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 The surroundings and lighting can then be rebuilt, with the actors’ original performances retained. — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retained

Adjective

When the possessed Katie eventually joins the family in Albuquerque, New Mexico, there is much Catholic prayer on the part of Larissa’s mother Carmen (Verónica Falcón).

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Religious horror films offer narratives of meaning, mystery, and morality, shaping how power, belief, and the body—both pure and possessed—are understood.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 July 2026

Definition of possessed

Verb

The finance director, who owned the home for 21 years, initially put the house on the market in April 2025 for $750,000.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Nowhere is this audience fragmentation clearer than in tech media, which is increasingly dominated by largely sycophantic media outlets owned by the decisionmakers themselves.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of owned

Verb

But the very reticence my father employed to protect us had hollowed out our family.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Gonska pushed back on that assertion, saying the political strategy employed by Bass during the June 2 primary was different from the activities now being conducted by Building LA in the runoff.

— David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of employed

Verb

The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.

— Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.

— Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025

Definition of held

Verb

Drew Doughty had a goal and two assists, and Artemi Panarin added a power-play goal and an assist as the Kings beat the New York Rangers 6-3 on Monday night.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
When presented with the findings, the Republican National Committee said the party hasn’t had enough time to fix the affordability crisis inherited from Democratic leadership.

— Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of had

Verb

The case originates from a change in admissions policy that began a decade ago, when a consulting group was hired to evaluate how the school system chose students for its middle school magnet programs.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Determined to fortify his body for another long season, Reaves hired former Lakers head strength and conditioning coach Ed Streit to work with him.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of hired

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retained

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Style

“Retained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retained. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of retained

adjective

verb

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