{
    "term": "retain",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "academic": true,
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "retain",
            "heSheIt": "retains"
        },
        "pastSimple": "retained",
        "pastParticiple": "retained",
        "ingForm": "retaining"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to keep something; to continue to have something",
            "sensetop": "retain something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to retain your independence"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He struggled to **retain control** of the situation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The house retains much of its original charm."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She **retained her** tennis **title** for the third year."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He has successfully retained his position as national president of the society."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was allowed to retain his parliamentary seat."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her new music largely retains the distinctiveness of the old."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The president retained her as his chief adviser."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Please retain your ticket stub during the event."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Residents of the home are able to retain their independence."
                },
                {
                    "text": "To retain talent, companies must give employees the opportunity to develop."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "preserve",
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["nonetheless", "still", "yet"],
                "verb + retain": ["be eager to", "be keen to", "hope to"],
                "preposition": ["as"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to continue to hold or contain something",
            "sensetop": "retain something",
            "labels": "(figurative)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "These plants will need a soil that retains moisture during the summer months."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This information is no longer retained within the computer's main memory."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She has a good memory and finds it easy to retain facts."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "if a member of the public retains somebody such as a lawyer, they pay money regularly or in advance so the lawyer, etc. will do work for them",
            "sensetop": "retain somebody/something",
            "labels": "(law)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You will be paid a retaining fee."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You will need to retain the services of a lawyer."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈteɪn/",
                "audio": "re/retain/retain__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈteɪnz/",
                "audio": "re/retain/retains__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈteɪnd/",
                "audio": "re/retain/retained__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈteɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "re/retain/retaining__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈteɪn/",
                "audio": "re/retain/retain__us_3.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈteɪnz/",
                "audio": "re/retain/retains__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈteɪnd/",
                "audio": "re/retain/retained__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈteɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "re/retain/retaining__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: via Anglo-Norman French from Old French retenir, from Latin retinere, from re- ‘back’ + tenere ‘hold’."
}