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re·ten·tiv·i·ty

(rē′tĕn-tĭvĭ-tē)

a. The quality or state of being retentive.

b. Capacity or power of retaining.

2. Physics The capacity for a body to remain magnetized after the magnetizing field has ceased to exert an effect.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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