retain: meaning and words from its letters
6 letters · 6 letter points · starts with R · ends with N
Meaning of retain
verb
- transitive
Often followed by from: to hold back (someone or something); to check, to prevent, to restrain, to stop.
- transitive
Often followed by from: to hold back (someone or something); to check, to prevent, to restrain, to stop. To hold back (a pupil) instead of allowing them to advance to the next class or year; to keep back.
- transitive
Of a thing: to hold or keep (something) inside it; to contain.
Example: water retained by a dam
- transitive
Of a thing: to hold or keep (something) inside it; to contain. To hold back (tissue or a substance, especially urine) in the body or a body organ.
Listed forms: retains, retaining, retained, glossary, retainest.
Source: Wiktionary — retain.
noun
- obsolete
An act of holding or keeping something; a possession, a retention.
- collective, obsolete
Synonym of retinue (“a group of attendants or servants, especially of someone considered important”).
Listed forms: retains.
Source: Wiktionary — retain.
Adapted from Wiktionary contributors via Kaikki.org. Selected senses and forms; quotations omitted. Definition text is CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms by meaning
Words are grouped by sense, so they are not necessarily interchangeable in every context. Search synonyms for retain.
verb
allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature
verb
secure and keep for possible future use or application
- hold
- keep back
- hold back
Open English WordNet Team, 2025, derived from Princeton University WordNet; selected synonym groups under CC BY 4.0. Source · OEWN notice · Princeton notice.
Is retain in our word lists?
| Word list | Status |
|---|---|
| American English | Found |
| British English | Found |
| Extended English | Found |
These are spelling-list matches, not official game validity checks. Check the rules and dictionary used by your game.
Letter-value score of retain
R(1) + E(1) + T(1) + A(1) + I(1) + N(1) = 6 points.
This is a sum of letter values without board bonuses or word multipliers. A blank tile is worth zero: subtract the value of each letter supplied by a blank. The score does not establish game validity. Full letter-value table.
Anagrams of retain
1 other standard-list word uses exactly these letters, including repeated letters.
Shorter words from retain
80 shorter standard-list words can be made using no letter more often than it occurs in retain. Showing up to 24, longest first.