Retainerin

Retainerin is a term that appears mainly in German-language sources and is not established as a standard English word. It seems to be a feminine formation from the noun retainer using the German agent suffix -in, but its meaning is not fixed and it is rarely documented in dictionaries.

In practice, interpretations depend on context. In dentistry, a retainer is a device used to maintain teeth alignment after orthodontic treatment. In German contexts, the appliance is often referred to simply as a Retainer, and a patient may be described as a woman with a Retainer rather than using a dedicated feminine noun such as Retainerin. In business or legal usage, a retainer denotes an upfront fee paid to secure ongoing services. If Retainerin is used, it would typically function as a gendered label for a woman involved in such an arrangement, but this usage is not standardized and is generally informal or idiosyncratic.

Because of its nonstandard status, Retainerin is not recommended for formal English or German writing. When clarity is needed, it is preferable to use the English term retainer with explicit context, or to replace it with descriptive phrases such as “woman who wears a dental retainer” or “female client”/“female service provider” depending on the intended sense.

See also: Retainer, Retainer fee.