Keeps something, holds onto it, or continues to have something; doesn't let it go or forget it.
From Old French 'retenir,' from Latin 're-' (back) and 'tenere' (to hold). The root idea is literally 'to hold back.'
Your brain retains memories better when you're emotionally invested—that's why you remember embarrassing moments for decades but forget random facts the day after a test.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.