retire
verb (used without object)
to withdraw from one's career, occupation, or office, usually because of age.
retire
1 American
[ri-tahyuhr]
/ rɪˈtaɪər /
verb (used without object)
-
retires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
retired,
past participle, past
-
retiring
present participle
-
to withdraw from one's career, occupation, or office, usually because of age.
to retire at the age of sixty.
-
to withdraw, or go away or apart, to a place of privacy, shelter, or seclusion.
He retired to his study.
-
to go to bed.
He retired at midnight.
-
to fall back or retreat in an orderly fashion and according to plan, as from battle, an untenable position, danger, etc.
-
to withdraw or remove oneself.
After announcing the guests, the butler retired.
verb (used with object)
-
retires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
retired,
past participle, past
-
retiring
present participle
-
to withdraw from circulation by taking up and paying, as bonds, bills, etc.; redeem.
-
to withdraw or lead back (troops, ships, etc.), as from battle or danger; retreat.
-
to remove from active service or the usual field of activity, as an army officer or business executive.
-
to withdraw (a machine, ship, etc.) permanently from its normal service, usually for scrapping; take out of use.
-
Baseball, Cricket. to put out or end the offensive play of (a batter, runner, side, etc.).
The pitcher’s on fire, retiring the last five hitters with strikeouts.
With two runners stranded on base, the side is retired.
noun
Literary.
-
a place of withdrawal; retreat.
a cool retire from summer's heat.
-
retirement or withdrawal, as from worldly matters or the company of others.
retiré
2
American
[r uh-tee-rey]
/ rə tiˈreɪ /
noun
Ballet.
-
retirés
plural
retire
British
/ rɪˈtaɪə /
verb
-
(also tr) to give up or to cause (a person) to give up his work, a post, etc, esp on reaching pensionable age (in Britain and Australia usually 65 for men, 60 for women)
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to go away, as into seclusion, for recuperation, etc
-
to go to bed
-
to recede or disappear
the sun retired behind the clouds
-
to withdraw from a sporting contest, esp because of injury
-
(also tr) to pull back (troops, etc) from battle or an exposed position or (of troops, etc) to fall back
-
(tr)
-
to remove (bills, bonds, shares, etc) from circulation by taking them up and paying for them
-
to remove (money) from circulation
-
Synonym Usage
See depart.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
retiresimple
-
retiressimple
-
have retiredperfect
-
has retiredperfect
-
am retiringprogressive
-
are retiringprogressive
-
is retiringprogressive
-
have been retiringperfect progressive
-
has been retiringperfect progressive
Past
-
retiredsimple
-
had retiredperfect
-
was retiringprogressive
-
were retiringprogressive
-
had been retiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of retire1
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French retirer “to withdraw, pull back,” equivalent to re- re- + tirer “to draw”
Origin of retiré2
< French, past participle of retirer to retire
Explanation
If you stop working by choice and leave your position or occupation, you retire. If you are lucky, you can retire early in order to sail around the world, but most people can't retire until they are old enough to collect retirement benefits. If you go to bed in the evening, you retire. If your younger siblings are being loud and obnoxious, you can retire to the basement to get some privacy and quiet. If something is withdrawn from circulation, it can also be retired. When a beloved player leaves a sports team, often the number assigned to him or her is retired and no one else can use that number.
Vocabulary lists containing retire
"Of Mice and Men"
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 1–January 7, 2022
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 17–April 23, 2021
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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.
See Examples For:
“We were slaves to the fiat system,” she said, “but Bitcoin brought hope back into my life, hope that I can retire someday.”
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
The American, who currently leads the standings on the DP World Tour, had been well placed after the first round but was forced to retire through injury while nine-over par for Friday's round.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Even when the devout Christian decided to retire, he found a way to be of public service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
My husband, 59, and I, 55, are planning to retire over the next few years, and this is one of the biggest unknowns I’m struggling with.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Every few minutes you turned to look at them, and if you saw one of them moving the offender had to retire to the back line and begin again.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
For added strength, use might be made of a linen thread at the back, as in the point couché rentré ou retiré method that is discussed later.
From Embroidery and Tapestry Weaving by Grace Christie
Taylor beat Pili on points in Dublin to become undisputed light-welterweight champion and retires with 26 wins from 27 professional contests, Olympic gold and three undisputed title triumphs across two divisions.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
The naming of tropical storms and hurricanes is a job for the World Meteorological Organization, which rotates them out every six years and retires them after a given storm causes too much destruction.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
If your spouse or ex-spouse retires before you do, you may be eligible to collect spousal benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Subscribers receive rewards like virtual currency and accessories, while CleanPlay retires renewable-energy certificates in their names.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Their conversation is like a gently wicked dance: sound meets sound, curtsies, shimmies, and retires.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
Priebus was fairly swiftly given the heave-ho in favor of retired Gen. John Kelly, who was serving as secretary of homeland security.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
Former Hart baseball coach Jim Ozella, retired and watching his grandson play sports, told the story of his former player, Jack Ralston, reaching the major leagues this year taught him about perseverance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
Stokes abruptly retired from international cricket in July and has a previous relationship with Fleming from their time together with Chennai Super Kings at the Indian Premier League.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Other recently retired lawyers who have worked with retirement consultants took left turns as screenwriters and volunteer paramedics, or have opened wineries and wedding venues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Penelope scooped them up and retired to her comfortable chair near the hearth.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
After a few years in which mainstream culture at least made noises about retiring the worst excesses of early-aughts thinspo, the pendulum appears to be swinging back.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
After retiring from professional boxing in 1978, Chuvalo travelled the country as a public speaker advocating for anti-drug education and mental health awareness.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Glasnow settled in for the third and fourth innings, retiring six straight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
After retiring in 2021, he kept up his music.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Moniek married, and he and his wife, Erica, reared two sons before retiring to Florida.
From "Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps" by Andrea Warren
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.
