different between retention vs incontinence

English

Etymology

From Middle English retencioun, borrowed from Latin retenti?, retenti?nis, from retentus, the perfect passive participle of retine? (“retain”) (from re- (“back, again”) + tene? (“hold, keep”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???t?n??n/

Noun

retention (countable and uncountable, plural retentions)

1. The act of retaining or something retained
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, II. iv. 95:

     No woman's heart / So big, to hold so much; they lack retention.

2. The act or power of remembering things
3. A memory; what is retained in the mind
4. (medicine) The involuntary withholding of urine and faeces
5. (medicine) The length of time an individual remains in treatment
6. (obsolete) That which contains something, as a tablet; a means of preserving impressions.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 122,^[1]

     Thy gift, thy tables, are within my brain

     Full character’d with lasting memory,

     […]

     That poor retention could not so much hold,

     Nor need I tallies thy dear love to score;

7. (obsolete) The act of withholding; restraint; reserve.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, V. i. 79:

     His life I gave him, and did thereto add / My love without retention or restraint,

8. (obsolete) A place of custody or confinement.
9. (law) The right to withhold a debt, or of retaining property until a debt due to the person claiming the right is duly paid; a lien.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Erskine to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Craig to this entry?)

Derived terms

• retention tank

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• enter into, intertone, tontineer

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French incontinence, from Latin incontinentia.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n?k?nt?n?ns/

Noun

incontinence (countable and uncountable, plural incontinences)

1. (dated) Lack of self-restraint, an inability to control oneself; unchastity.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, p. 119:

     Allworthy was sufficiently offended by this transgression of Jones; for notwithstanding the assertions of Mr Western, it is certain this worthy man had never indulged himself in any loose pleasures with women, and greatly condemned the vice of incontinence in others.

2. (urology) The inability of any of the physical organs to restrain discharges of their contents; involuntary discharge or evacuation (of urine or feces).

Synonyms

• (lack of self-restraint): acrasia, incontinency

Antonyms

• continence

Derived terms

• incontinence diaper
• incontinence pad
• stress incontinence

Related terms

Translations

References

• incontinence in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “incontinence”, in Online Etymology Dictionary