Catalan

Alternative forms

• retindre

Verb

retenir ‎(first-person singular present retinc, past participle retingut)

1. to retain; to keep
2. to retain; to remember
3. (reflexive) to control oneself; to control one's impulses

Conjugation

French

Etymology

From Old French, from Vulgar Latin *retinō, retinīre, from Latin retineō, from re- + teneō ‎(“to hold”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁətəniʁ/

Verb

retenir

1. (transitive) to retain, hold
   1. (transitive) to hold back, rein in
   2. (transitive) to keep, detain, hold up
2. (transitive) to remember
3. (transitive, intransitive) to accept (que that)
4. (transitive, law) to uphold
5. (reflexive) to restrain oneself, hold back

Conjugation

This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way.

Anagrams

• inerter, rentier, terrien, terrine

Middle French

Verb

retenir

1. to keep; to retain
   • 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac, page 67:

     ceulx qui venoient en la dance estoient retenus

     those who came into the dance where retained

Old French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *retinō, *retinīre, from Latin retineō.

Verb

retenir

1. to keep; to retain

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has a stressed present stem retien distinct from the unstressed stem reten, as well as other irregularities. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

Descendants

• English: retain
• French: retenir