retenida

Retenida is a feminine noun and adjective in Spanish that denotes something or someone that has been kept back, detained, or withheld. As an adjective, it describes items or persons that are currently held or preserved in a particular state or place. As a noun, it can refer to the act or result of detention, withholding, or retention. The term is widely used across legal, administrative, financial, and logistical contexts.

Etymology and related terms: Retenida derives from the verb retener, meaning to hold back or keep. Related terms include retención (retention or withholding), retenido (the detained person or thing), and retener (to hold back). The feminine form retenida aligns with gender-marked noun usage in Spanish.

Common contexts:

- Law enforcement and administration: A person may be described as retenida when she or he is temporarily held by authorities for questions, identification, or verification procedures. This use is distinct from a formal arrest and varies by jurisdiction in terms of duration and rights.

- Finance and taxation: Retenida can refer to money that has been withheld from a payment, such as impuestos retenidos (withheld taxes) or amounts retenidos en la fuente (withholding at the source). The expression highlights the portion of funds that is retained rather than paid to the recipient.

- Customs, logistics, and commerce: Merchandise or shipments can be described as retenida when they are detained by customs or regulatory authorities due to incomplete documentation, compliance issues, or suspected irregularities.

- Other uses: In administrative language, retenida can denote any object or document kept in custody or a period of preservation or retention.

See also: retención, retenido, retener.