Retentive
What it means
Able to keep information, moisture, heat, or another property effectively.
Reach for it when praising holding capacity while naming what is retained
Her retentive memory preserved the details of every field visit.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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| literary |
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playful
memory-rich
Fits when strong recall gets informal emphasis
Careful Memory-rich is not standard usage.
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everyday
good at remembering
Fits when human memory needs plain praise
Careful The phrase cannot describe soil.
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everyday
holding
Fits when capacity to keep something is central
Careful Holding is vague without an object.
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professional
absorptive
Fits when material takes in and holds liquid
Careful Absorption differs from retention.
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professional
water-retentive
Fits when soil or material holds water
Careful The compound is limited to water.
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literary
Fits when something clings firmly
Careful Tenacious often implies effort or adhesion.
Opposites 3
- forgetful
- porous
- nonretentive
Common phrases 3
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retentive memory
A retentive memory helped the guide learn every name.
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water-retentive soil
Water-retentive soil protected the seedlings in July.
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highly retentive
The material is highly retentive of heat.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated