adjective
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having given up one's work, office, etc, esp on completion of the normal period of service
a retired headmistress
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( as collective noun ; preceded by the )
the retired
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withdrawn; secluded
a retired life
a retired cottage in the woods
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of retired
Explanation
Someone who's retired has stopped working permanently. A retired teacher who misses his job might volunteer at an after-school program. Most retired people in the U.S. are over the age of 65, although some are able to retire earlier, and some continue working well into their 70s or 80s. Some jobs provide pensions, or partial salaries, to retired workers, and other retired people take advantage of government-provided benefits like Social Security. To retire means "to stop working," but also "to retreat or withdraw," and in the 1500s, retired meant "separated or withdrawn from society."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The 39-year-old former Barcelona forward currently plays for Inter Miami and recently retired from international football after Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
I am 65, and my wife retired this year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
He retired as a handyman a few years ago but passed the time caring for his aging partner, Vivian Lee Arguello, and doing odd jobs around the neighborhood to make ends meet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Phil Cordell, a retired Hilton executive, first visited the cave in 2019 after a local guide led him there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Ana Padva, a retired Romanian prima ballerina who had been dear friends with Chandresh’s mother.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
