noun
Meaning 1
The state of being retentive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
retentiveness
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
Meaning 2
the power of retaining liquid
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- moisture retentivity of soil
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: retentivity, retention
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: impermeability, impermeableness
Narrower terms: urinary retention
noun
Meaning 3
the property of retaining possessions that have been acquired
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: retentivity
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: acquisitiveness
noun
Meaning 4
the power of retaining and recalling past experience
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he had a good memory when he was younger
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: memory, retention, retentivity
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: faculty, mental faculty, module
Narrower terms: remembrance, recollection, anamnesis
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English retentive Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English retentiveness From retentive + -ness.
Across languages
Translations
1 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Irish: coinneálacht — state of being retentive