Definition

Adjective 1. Having a poor capacity for retaining or recalling information: Describes a memory or mind that does not hold or remember things well or for a long time. 2. Deficient in retentiveness: Lacking the quality of being able to retain impressions, knowledge, or details.

Usage

The adjective "unretentive" is used to describe a person's memory or, by extension, the person themselves. It is a formal and somewhat technical term, often used in psychological or educational contexts. It is the direct opposite of "retentive."

Examples

• His unretentive memory made studying for history exams very difficult.
• She described her own mind as regrettably unretentive when it came to remembering names.
• An unretentive student may need information presented in multiple different ways.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used in a comparative or superlative form: "more unretentive," "most unretentive."
• It can be applied metaphorically to things that fail to hold or keep something, though this is rare.
  • The dry, sandy soil was unretentive of moisture.

Variants and Related Words

• Retentive (adj): Having the ability to retain or remember. (This is the direct antonym).
• Unretentiveness (n): The quality or state of being unretentive.
  • The unretentiveness of his memory was a source of frustration.

Synonyms

• Forgetful
• Absent-minded
• Short (as in "a short memory")

Antonyms

• Retentive
• Tenacious (of memory)
• Long (as in "a long memory")

Adjective

1. (of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range
   • a short memory