Definition of retention noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary. The practice of. The state of being retained. The continued use, existence, or possession of something or someone: Retention meaning, definition, what is retention : The retention of jobs in the city. Retention of clients or money is the process of ensuring that a policyholder remains a customer of the insurer or that money to be paid out remains in the insurers accounts. How to use retention in a sentence. The continued use…. Retention synonyms, retention pronunciation, retention translation, english dictionary definition of retention. The meaning of retention is the act of retaining : Employee retention is the ability of an organization to retain its employees and ensure sustainability. Employee retention can be represented by a simple statistic (for example, a retention rate of 80% usually indicates that an organization kept 80% of its employees in a given period). The act of keeping something: The retention of nutrients in the soil; Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. The act of retaining or the condition of being retained: