retentive
/ɹɪˈtɛntɪv/ adjective, noun
Forms retentives
- adjective Having power to retain. “a soil that is highly retentive of rainwater”
- adjective (slang, apocope) Anal-retentive.
- noun (obsolete) That which retains or confines; a restraint.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French rétentif, from Old French retentif, from Medieval Latin retentivus, from Latin retentus.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Having power to retain; as, a retentive memory.
- noun That which retains or confines; a restraint. [R.] Bp. Hall.
Etymology [Cf. F. rétentif.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “retentive”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details