Retenha

Retenha is a term that can appear in Portuguese in different senses, depending on context. It is not established as a single, standalone concept in English-language references, but it shows up primarily as a verb form and, more rarely, as a specialized noun.

As a verb form, retenha commonly appears as the present subjunctive of the verb reter (to retain or hold back) in Brazilian and European Portuguese. It is used in subordinate clauses to express a desired or hypothetical action, such as in sentences like “É importante que ele retenha as informações.” In this grammatical role, retenha is not a separate lexical item but a morphological form of reter.

As a noun, retenha is uncommon and regional in its usage. In some technical or dialectal contexts, it can refer to a retaining device or mechanism designed to hold or secure a component in place. This sense is not widely standardized across the Portuguese-speaking world; more common terms for such devices include retenção (retention) or retentor (retainer).

Etymology: retenha derives from the verb reter, which comes from Latin retinere (to hold back, to keep). The noun-usage, when it occurs, inherits the same semantic field of keeping something in place.

See also: reter, retenção, retentor. Because of its limited, context-dependent use, retenha is best understood through its grammatical function as a verb form and, when encountered as a noun, within specialized glossaries or regional texts.