Ask Difference

Retain vs. Sustain — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 27, 2024
Retain focuses on keeping something in possession or continuing to hold onto it, while sustain refers to supporting or maintaining something over time.
Retain vs. Sustain — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Retain and Sustain

ADVERTISEMENT

Key Differences

Retain implies holding onto something, such as retaining information after a lecture, whereas sustain involves maintaining or prolonging conditions favorable to something, like sustaining interest in a topic.
Retain can also mean to keep in place or position, like retaining an employee in a company, while sustain can extend to providing support or nourishment, as in sustaining an ecosystem.
In legal contexts, retain often refers to securing services, such as retaining a lawyer, whereas sustain in this context might mean to uphold a decision or argument in court.
When talking about effects or impacts, to retain might involve preserving the status quo, like retaining the original features of a historic building, while to sustain can mean ensuring ongoing viability, like sustaining economic growth.
In environmental terms, retaining often deals with conservation efforts, such as retaining water in a reservoir, whereas sustaining focuses on ecological balance, like sustaining biodiversity.
ADVERTISEMENT

Comparison Chart

Definition

Keep possession or continue holding onto something.
Support or maintain something continuously.

Usage in Business

Retaining customers through loyalty programs.
Sustaining business operations during a crisis.

Environmental Context

Retaining soil moisture with mulching techniques.
Sustaining natural resources for future generations.

Legal Use

Retaining a lawyer for legal services.
Sustaining a legal ruling or judgment.

Health & Well-being

Retaining mental sharpness with cognitive exercises.
Sustaining health through regular exercise and diet.

Compare with Definitions

Retain

Keep in place or position.
The wall retains the soil behind it.

Sustain

Undergo or suffer (especially an injury).
He sustained a knee injury during the match.

Retain

Keep possession or use of something.
They aim to retain control of the company despite the offers.

Sustain

Keep up or prolong.
They sustained the effort despite difficulties.

Retain

Keep in one’s memory.
He retains a lot of information from his reading.

Sustain

Uphold, affirm, or confirm.
The judge sustained the objection.

Retain

Employ by payment of a retainer.
They retained a lawyer to handle the case.

Sustain

Strengthen or support physically or mentally
This thought had sustained him throughout the years

Retain

To keep possession of; continue to have
The family sold the house but retained the land.

Sustain

Undergo or suffer (something unpleasant, especially an injury)
He sustained severe head injuries

Retain

To keep in a particular place or condition
A library that retains the author's papers.
Plants that retain a lot of water.

Sustain

Cause to continue for an extended period or without interruption
He cannot sustain a normal conversation

Retain

To continue to have as a feature or aspect
Retains his good humor after all the setbacks.

Sustain

Uphold, affirm, or confirm the justice or validity of
The allegations of discrimination were sustained

Retain

To keep in mind; remember
Retains the songs she learned in childhood.

Sustain

An effect or facility on a keyboard or electronic instrument whereby a note can be sustained after the key is released.

Retain

To require (a student) to repeat a class or grade because of insufficient educational progress to advance.

Sustain

To keep in existence; maintain, continue, or prolong
Sustain an effort.

Retain

To keep in one's service or pay
Retain employees on a workforce.

Sustain

To keep up (a joke or assumed role, for example) competently.

Retain

To hire (an attorney, for example) by the payment of a fee.

Sustain

To supply with necessities or nourishment; provide for
The income needed to sustain a family.

Retain

To hire a person for (that person's services)
Retained the best legal advice available.

Sustain

To support the spirits, vitality, or resolution of; encourage
We were sustained by her unflagging optimism.

Retain

(transitive) To keep in possession or use.

Sustain

To support from below; keep from falling or sinking; prop
The beams sustain the weight of the roof.

Retain

(transitive) To keep in one's pay or service.

Sustain

To bear up under; withstand
Can't sustain the blistering heat.

Retain

(transitive) To employ by paying a retainer.

Sustain

To experience or suffer
Sustained minor injuries.

Retain

(transitive) To hold secure.

Sustain

To affirm the validity of
The judge has sustained the prosecutor's objection.

Retain

To hold back (a pupil) instead of allowing them to advance to the next class or year.

Sustain

A capacity of a musical instrument to continue the resounding of a note or tone.

Retain

(obsolete) To restrain; to prevent.

Sustain

(transitive) To maintain, or keep in existence.
The professor had trouble sustaining students’ interest until the end of her lectures.
The city came under sustained attack by enemy forces.
Sam managed to sustain his erection for two straight hours.

Retain

To belong; to pertain.

Sustain

(transitive) To provide for or nourish.
Provisions to sustain an army

Retain

To continue to hold; to keep in possession; not to lose, part with, or dismiss; to restrain from departure, escape, or the like.
Be obedient, and retainUnalterably firm his love entire.
An executor may retain a debt due to him from the testator.

Sustain

(transitive) To encourage or sanction (something). en

Retain

To keep in pay; to employ by a preliminary fee paid; to hire; to engage; as, to retain a counselor.
A Benedictine convent has now retained the most learned father of their order to write in its defense.

Sustain

(transitive) To experience or suffer (an injury, etc.).
The building sustained major damage in the earthquake.

Retain

To restrain; to prevent.

Sustain

(transitive) To confirm, prove, or corroborate; to uphold.
To sustain a charge, an accusation, or a proposition

Retain

To belong; to pertain.
A somewhat languid relish, retaining to bitterness.

Sustain

To allow, accept, or admit (e.g. an objection or motion) as valid.

Retain

To keep; to continue; to remain.

Sustain

To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support.
A foundation sustains the superstructure; an animal sustains a load; a rope sustains a weight.

Retain

Hold within;
This soil retains water
I retain this drug for a long time

Sustain

To aid, comfort, or relieve; to vindicate.

Retain

Allow to remain in a place or position;
We cannot continue several servants any longer
She retains a lawyer
The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff
Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on
We kept the work going as long as we could

Sustain

(music) A mechanism which can be used to hold a note, as the right pedal on a piano.

Retain

Secure and keep for possible future use or application;
The landlord retained the security deposit
I reserve the right to disagree

Sustain

To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support; as, a foundation sustains the superstructure; a beast sustains a load; a rope sustains a weight.
Every pillar the temple to sustain.

Retain

Keep in one's mind;
I cannot retain so much information

Sustain

Hence, to keep from sinking, as in despondence, or the like; to support.
No comfortable expectations of another life to sustain him under the evils in this world.

Retain

Continue to hold or have.
She retained her composure in a stressful situation.

Sustain

To maintain; to keep alive; to support; to subsist; to nourish; as, provisions to sustain an army.

Sustain

To aid, comfort, or relieve; to vindicate.
His sons, who seek the tyrant to sustain.

Sustain

To endure without failing or yielding; to bear up under; as, to sustain defeat and disappointment.

Sustain

To suffer; to bear; to undergo.
Shall Turnus, then, such endless toil sustain?
You shall sustain more new disgraces.

Sustain

To allow the prosecution of; to admit as valid; to sanction; to continue; not to dismiss or abate; as, the court sustained the action or suit.

Sustain

To prove; to establish by evidence; to corroborate or confirm; to be conclusive of; as, to sustain a charge, an accusation, or a proposition.

Sustain

One who, or that which, upholds or sustains; a sustainer.
I waked again, for my sustain was the Lord.

Sustain

Lengthen or extend in duration or space;
We sustained the diplomatic negociations as long as possible
Prolong the treatment of the patient
Keep up the good work

Sustain

Undergo (as of injuries and illnesses);
She suffered a fracture in the accident
He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars
She got a bruise on her leg
He got his arm broken in the scuffle

Sustain

Provide with nourishment;
We sustained ourselves on bread and water
This kind of food is not nourishing for young children

Sustain

Supply with necessities and support;
She alone sustained her family
The money will sustain our good cause
There's little to earn and many to keep

Sustain

Be the physical support of; carry the weight of;
The beam holds up the roof
He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam
What's holding that mirror?

Sustain

Admit as valid;
The court sustained the motion

Sustain

Establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts;
His story confirmed my doubts
The evidence supports the defendant

Sustain

Provide the basic necessities for.
The land sustains a variety of wildlife.

Sustain

Support mentally or physically.
Good nutrition sustains a healthy body.

Common Curiosities

How can a company sustain its growth?

By implementing strategic plans that support continuous improvement and adaptation.

How do wetlands help sustain biodiversity?

Wetlands provide a habitat rich in nutrients and protection, which supports diverse species.

What does it mean to sustain a verdict?

It means that a higher court upholds the decision of a lower court.

What does it mean to retain an employee?

It means to keep an employee on staff, often through incentives or positive work conditions.

What does it mean to sustain an injury?

It refers to experiencing or suffering from an injury.

Can you retain legal rights in a contract?

Yes, parties can retain specific rights as stipulated in a contract.

Is retaining information the same as memorizing it?

Not exactly; retaining implies maintaining the information over time, not just memorizing temporarily.

How do forests sustain ecosystems?

Forests provide essential services like oxygen production and habitat for wildlife.

How can schools help students retain knowledge?

Through engaging educational techniques and repeated practice.

What role does technology play in sustaining business operations?

Technology supports business continuity by improving efficiency and enabling innovation.

What strategies help retain customers?

Excellent customer service and regular engagement through loyalty programs.

Why is it important to retain cultural heritage?

It helps preserve identity, history, and values for future generations.

Can you sustain economic growth without innovation?

Sustaining growth without innovation is challenging as it requires continual adaptation to changing environments.

Share Your Discovery

Share via Social Media
Embed This Content
Embed Code
Share Directly via Messenger
Link
Previous Comparison
Scan vs. Sweep

Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj Arif
Urooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.

Popular Comparisons

Trending Comparisons

New Comparisons

Trending Terms