Keep
Hold, Maintain, Retain
noun, verbal noun
When you preserve the things you hold on to, you're keeping them. In other words, you're holding and maintaining them!
Note that 保持 is a formal word that's commonly used in professional or official contexts.
This is a jukugo word that uses the on'yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
保持を考える
to think about retention
保持をする
to keep
保持を行う
to maintain
データ保持
data maintenance
水分保持
moisture preservation
データの保持
maintenance of data
文化の保持
preservation of culture
安全の保持
maintenance of safety
保持につとめる
to strive to maintain
保持者
holder
高いクオリティを保持するのは工場にとって大切なことです。
It is important for the factory to maintain high quality.
今年も全米タイトルを保持しました。
I retained the US title this year too.
データは一ヶ月保持された後は、全てなくなります。
The data will be preserved for one month, then it will be gone.