ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Retentive

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ɹɪˈtɛntɪv/ · Part of speech adjective

Quick meaning: Retentive is an adjective meaning Having power to retain.

Meaning

Having power to retain.

More Meanings

  1. (slang, apocope) Anal-retentive.
  2. (obsolete) That which retains or confines; a restraint.

Example Sentences

a soil that is highly retentive of rainwater
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron, Can be retentive to the strength of spirit.
Mr Carlyle smiled his indulgence privately. "My dear chap, you mustn't let your retentive memory of obscure happenings run away with you," he remarked wisely.

Word Forms

Synonyms for retentive

Depending on context, synonyms include tenacious, acquisitive, long, holding, retaining, recollective.

Antonyms for retentive

Common opposites include forgetful, unretentive.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include retaining, acquisitive, tenacious, recollective, holding, long.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.