Adjacent Words

Retentive definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RETEN'TIVE, a. Having the power to retain; as a retentive memory; the retentive faculty; the retentive force of the stomach; a body retentive of heat or moisture.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: good at remembering; "a retentive mind"; "tenacious memory" [syn: retentive, recollective, long, tenacious] [ant: forgetful, short, unretentive]
2: having the capacity to retain something
3: having the power, capacity, or quality of retaining water; "soils retentive of moisture"

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English retentif, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin retentivus, from Latin retentus, past participle of retin?re Date: 14th century having the power, property, or capacity of retaining <soils retentive of moisture>; especially retaining knowledge easily <a retentive memory> • retentively adverb • retentiveness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 (often foll. by of) tending to retain (moisture etc.). 2 (of memory or a person) not forgetful. 3 Surgery (of a ligature etc.) serving to keep something in place. Derivatives: retentively adv. retentiveness n. Etymology: ME f. OF retentif -ive or med.L retentivus (as RETAIN)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Retentive Re*ten"tive, a. [Cf. F. r['e]tentif.] Having power to retain; as, a retentive memory. Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron, Can be retentive to the strength of spirit. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Retentive Re*ten"tive, n. That which retains or confines; a restraint. [R.] --Bp. Hall.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you have a retentive memory, you are able to remember things very well. Luke had an amazingly retentive memory. ADJ: usu ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Tenacious.