re‧tain W2 AC / rɪteɪn / 动词 [及物动词] formal

1 to keep something or continue to have something :

You have the right to retain possession of the goods.

The state wants to retain control of food imports.

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In everyday English, people usually say keep rather than retain :

Keep all your receipts.

2 to store or keep something inside something else :

A lot of information can be retained in your computer.

Limestone is known to retain moisture.

3 to remember information :

I find it very difficult to retain facts.

4 if you retain a lawyer or other specialist, you pay them to work for you now and in the future :

He has retained a lawyer to challenge the court’s decision.

We had to pay a retaining fee (= an amount of money to keep someone working for you ) .

5 if a company retains workers, it continues to employ them for a long time :

It’s increasingly difficult to recruit and retain good staff.