retener

Retener is a Spanish verb with meanings centered on holding back, keeping, or detaining something or someone. It can refer to keeping an object in possession, preventing movement or release, or prolonging a state of holding. The term also applies to cognitive processes, such as retaining information in memory, and to financial or administrative contexts, such as withholding or reserving resources or payments.

Etymology and usage notes: Retener comes from the Latin retinere, formed by re- (back) and tenere (to hold). This origin reflects the core sense of keeping something in place or preventing its departure. The verb is versatile and appears in many expressions related to custody, memory, finance, and physical phenomena.

Usos y contextos: In law and security, retener puede meaning detaining someone temporarily under authority, as in retener a sospechoso until transfer to the proper authority. In economy and taxation, it can mean withholding or retaining funds, such as retention of earnings or tax withholdings. In information and education, it describes the act of preserving or recalling knowledge, i.e., retener información. In medicine and physiology, retención or retener can refer to fluid retention. In technology and engineering, retenedores are components that hold parts in place to prevent movement.

Notas relacionadas: El sustantivo retención designa la acción o resultado de retener, mientras que retenedor es el nombre de un dispositivo o componente que realiza esa función. Sinónimos incluyen contener, conservar, guardar y impedir el movimiento; antónimos son liberar y soltar.