- not lost, destroyed, released, sold, or given away; kept: The vendor overvalued both the sold 1,790 acres and the retained 566 acres of Green Meadows.
- kept in use or practice; continued or preserved: We are proud of the retained traditions of entrepreneurship of our ancestors, their respectful and careful attitude to land and craft.
- (of something perceived or learned) remembered or kept in mind: They get taught it in basic training, but without constant practice, land navigation is not a retained skill for the average soldier.
- engaged for service, often by payment of a preliminary fee: To apply for this opportunity in confidence, send your resume and remuneration details to the retained consultants, Kirk & Paulson Consulting Ltd., for an initial interview.
- kept in check or held in place; held back: On completion of the dam, the retained water was diverted for irrigation via two canals.
- kept in the body, especially abnormally; not expelled or eliminated: Three weeks after delivery I was back in the hospital, seriously ill and having a D&C to remove a retained placenta.
- the simple past tense and past participle of retain.
