retiree

American  

[ri-tahy-ree, -tahyuhr-ee] / rɪ taɪˈri, -ˈtaɪər i /

noun

1. a person who has retired from an occupation or profession.

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retiree British  

/ rɪˈtaɪəˌriː /

noun

1. a person who has retired from work

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Etymology

Origin of retiree

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; retire + -ee

Explanation

A retiree is a person who has permanently stopped working. Florida is famous for being a state where many retirees live. That's why Florida has so many golf courses (and nursing homes). Most retirees are 65 or older — they've worked their whole lives, and when they retire, or cease working, they're taking a well-deserved break. Many older people continue to work, instead of becoming retirees. The word retiree comes from retire, which first meant "to retreat," and later "to withdraw to a private place." The suffix -ee is often used in legal terms to mean "initiator of an action."

Example Sentences

I caught the bug not by reading code but by noticing that the output didn’t match how a rational retiree should behave.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

A retiree who depends on portfolio withdrawals to pay the bills might be hard hit.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

The stereotypical British émigré used to be the retiree packing up for sunnier climes in Spain or France.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

This pattern reflects the fact that respondents with retiree health insurance have much higher total income than the other groups, with only about half of their income coming from Social Security.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Colin watched in a lock-jawed silence as Hassan furiously stabbed at his breakfast, and later as Hassan slammed the mini-recorder down on the coffee table of some factory retiree who was old-but-not-old-enough-for-the-nursing home.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

Related Words

• pensioner
• senior