The most likely meaning of the word "retained" is C. continued to possess.
This is shown in the complete text as the use of words shows the context used to show that there was a continued possession of something.
This refers to the use of words that has a similar meaning to another word in a given context.
Alternatively, it is worth noting that connotative words are also the implied meanings of a word and can also be used to find the alternate meanings of a word.
With this in mind, we can see that the most likely meaning of the word "retained" is C. continued to possess.
Therefore, we can see that this is shown in the complete text as the use of words shows the context used to show that there was a continued possession of something
Read more about synonyms here:
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