Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

retain and explain

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.09 in modern English

Syllables: re-tain and -ex-plain
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To preserve historical material regarded as problematic (such as statues), with appropriate contextual explanation, rather than destroying it or attempting to erase it from history.

Example Sentences

"[W]e have opted in this book to use the word catechesis rather than substitute something in its place. Our strategy is to retain and explain, rather than to reject and replace."
"The Roosevelt Memorial contest is parallel in time but also distinctly different from the 'retain and explain' position of the Conservative UK government regarding British colonialist monuments."

Inflected Forms

retains and explains (present, singular) retaining and explaining (participle, present) retained and explained (participle, past) retained and explained (past)

Questions

What does retain and explain mean?: To preserve historical material regarded as problematic (such as statues), with appropriate contextual explanation, rather than destroying it or attempting to erase it from history.

How to pronounce retain and explain

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