Definitions
- Referring to keeping something in one's possession or control. - Talking about preserving or keeping a particular quality or characteristic. - Describing the act of remembering or recalling information or knowledge.
- Referring to keeping something in good condition or working order. - Talking about continuing a particular state or condition. - Describing the act of supporting or upholding a particular belief or idea.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words involve the idea of keeping something.
- 2Both words can be used to describe physical objects or abstract concepts.
- 3Both words can be used in a professional or personal context.
What is the difference?
- 1Focus: Retain focuses on keeping something in one's possession or control, while maintain focuses on keeping something in good condition or working order.
- 2Usage: Retain is more commonly used in legal or business contexts, while maintain is more commonly used in everyday language.
- 3Meaning: Retain implies keeping something as it is, while maintain implies taking action to keep something in a particular state or condition.
- 4Scope: Retain is often used for specific items or qualities, while maintain can be used for a wider range of things, including relationships, health, and beliefs.
- 5Connotation: Retain can have a neutral or positive connotation, while maintain can have a neutral or negative connotation depending on the context.
Remember this!
Retain and maintain are synonyms that both involve the idea of keeping something. However, retain focuses on keeping something in one's possession or control, while maintain focuses on keeping something in good condition or working order. Retain is more commonly used in legal or business contexts, while maintain is more commonly used in everyday language.
