Langimage
English

unintentionally-retained

|un-in-ten-tion-al-ly-re-tained|

C1

/ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəli rɪˈteɪnd/

(retain)

keep or hold

Base FormPlural3rd Person Sing.PastPast ParticiplePresent ParticipleNounAdjectiveAdjectiveAdjectiveAdjectiveAdjective
retainretainersretainsretainedretainedretainingretentionunlawfully-retainedunjustly-retainedretainedillicitly-retainedretentive
Etymology
Etymology Information

'retain' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'retinere,' where 're-' meant 'back' and 'tenere' meant 'to hold.'

Historical Evolution

'retinere' transformed into the Old French word 'retenir,' and eventually became the modern English word 'retain' through Middle English.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'to hold back or keep,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Adjective 1

kept or held without deliberate intention.

The old habits were unintentionally-retained despite the new environment.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/05/29 15:22