retain
To keep or hold on to something.
retain in a sentence
- Some plants retain their leaves all through the winter.
- It is hard to retain every fact after one quick read.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to retain?
- Adiscard
- Blose
- Ckeep
- Drelease
Show the answer
C: keep. The other three mean the opposite of retain.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to retain?
- Akeep
- Blose
- Cpreserve
- Dhold
Show the answer
B: lose. The other three mean nearly the same as retain.
Words that mean something similar
keep, hold, preserve
Words that mean the opposite
lose, release, discard
More words about thinking & learning
- sceptical: Not sure something is true and needing proof before you believe it.
- scrutinise: To look at something very closely and carefully to check every detail.
- shrewd: Clever at judging people and situations, especially to get what you want.
- specific: Exact and clearly stated, not general.
- strive: To try very hard to achieve something.
- subtle: Small and not obvious, so it is easy to miss.
- superficial: Only on the surface, without going deep.
- thorough: Done carefully and completely, with nothing missed out.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test