retention

retention — 名詞

1. the act of continuing to have, use, or keep something or someone, rather than gi

1.名詞B2
釋義

保留；維持

持續擁有或使用某物

the act of continuing to have, use, or keep something or someone, rather than giving it up or letting it go

例句

The company's customer retention rate improved after they introduced a loyalty programme.

該公司的客戶保留率在推出忠誠計劃後有所提升。

collocation: customer retention rate

Many governments have strict policies on data retention for national security reasons.

許多政府基於國家安全理由制定了嚴格的資料保留政策。

collocation: data retention

同義詞
  • keeping

    less formal, broader scope

  • maintenance

    emphasizes the effort to keep something in good condition

  • preservation

    focuses on protecting from loss or decay

  • continuation

    stresses the ongoing nature rather than possession

反義詞
  • loss

    the opposite outcome when retention fails

  • abandonment

    deliberately giving something up

文法句型

retention of [something]

[adjective] retention

[noun] retention rate

用法筆記

Commonly used in business contexts with a preceding noun such as customer, employee, or data. The compound form (e.g. customer retention) is far more frequent than the prepositional pattern (retention of customers).

常見錯誤

❌The company has high retention of employees.
✅The company has high employee retention.
💡Use the compound noun form '[noun] + retention' rather than 'retention of [noun]' in most business contexts.
❌They focus on the attention of customers.
✅They focus on customer retention.
💡Do not confuse 'retention' with 'attention'; retention means keeping what you already have.

2. the process of keeping a liquid, heat, or bodily substance inside the body or an

2.名詞B2
釋義

滯留；保溫

液體或熱量留在體內

the process of keeping a liquid, heat, or bodily substance inside the body or an object, rather than allowing it to leave

例句

The doctor told Nellie that her ankle swelling was caused by water retention.

醫生告訴 Nellie，她的腳踝腫脹是水分滯留造成的。

collocation: water retention

This thick ceramic mug is popular for its excellent heat retention.

這種厚陶瓷杯因其出色的保溫效果而廣受歡迎。

collocation: heat retention

同義詞
反義詞
  • release

    letting heat or liquid escape

  • loss

    commonly paired with 'heat loss' or 'fluid loss'

文法句型

retention of [liquid/heat]

[substance] retention

water / heat / fluid retention

用法筆記

When used as a medical term, it typically refers to an abnormal or excessive buildup of fluid in the body. In materials or engineering contexts, it describes the ability of a substance to keep heat or moisture inside.

常見錯誤

❌He suffers from water retention on his feet.
✅He suffers from water retention in his feet.
💡Use 'in' (location inside the body part), not 'on'.
❌The retention of heat of this pan is great.
✅This pan has great heat retention.
💡The compound form 'heat retention' is more natural than 'retention of heat'.

3. the ability to store information, knowledge, or experiences in your mind and bri

3.名詞B2
釋義

記憶；記住

儲存資訊並回想的能力

the ability to store information, knowledge, or experiences in your mind and bring them back when needed

例句

Nikhil uses flashcards to improve his retention of new vocabulary words.

Nikhil 使用閃卡來強化他對新詞彙的記憶。

pattern: retention of [vocabulary]

Good sleep is essential for information retention after a long day of studying.

在長時間學習之後，良好的睡眠對資訊記憶至關重要。

collocation: information retention

同義詞
  • memory

    broader; can refer to the stored content itself, not just the ability

  • recall

    focuses on the act of bringing back information

  • remembrance

    more literary, often tied to personal or emotional memories

反義詞
  • forgetfulness

    the tendency to lose stored information

  • amnesia

    a medical condition involving loss of memory

文法句型

retention of [information]

memory retention

information retention

用法筆記

Typically uncountable and often paired with a preceding noun that specifies what is remembered (e.g. information retention, memory retention). Unlike recall, retention emphasises the storage phase rather than the act of retrieving.

常見錯誤

❌She has good retention for names and faces.
✅She has good retention of names and faces.
💡The correct preposition after 'retention' in this sense is 'of', not 'for'.