retire

[ ri-tahyuhr ]

/ rɪˈtaɪər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: retire / retired / retiring on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), re·tired, re·tir·ing.

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 withdraw from office, business, or active life, usually because of age: to retire at the age of sixty.

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), re·tired, re·tir·ing.

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.

Sports. to put out (a batter, side, etc.).

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR retire

5 leave, withdraw.

See synonyms for retire on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

affect

effect

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of retire

1525–35; <Middle French retirer to withdraw, equivalent to re-re- + tirer to draw

synonym study for retire

5. See depart.

OTHER WORDS FROM retire

re·tir·er, noun

Other definitions for retire (2 of 2)

retiré

[ French ruh-tee-rey ]

/ French rə tiˈreɪ /

noun, plural re·ti·rés

[French ruh-tee-rey]. /French rə tiˈreɪ/. Ballet.

a movement in which the dancer brings one foot to the knee of the supporting leg and then returns it to the fifth position.

Origin of retiré

<French, past participle of retirer to retire

How to use retire in a sentence

Expect the couple to find another mansion in a safe Democratic district where an aging representative is expected to retire.
The Rise and Fall of Chris Hughes and Sean Eldridge, America’s Worst Gay Power Couple|James Kirchick|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And when asked whether he worries about Studio Ghibli after he and Takahata retire, Miyazaki is frank.
Anime King Hayao Miyazaki’s Cursed Dreams|Melissa Leon|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Age is one of many factors, but it will play a larger role in the conversation as Baby Boomers retire and longevity is extended.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Risky Heart Surgery|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As Raimondo tells it, most public sector workers in the state were able to retire at age 55 with 80 percent of their pay.
Meet Gina Raimondo, the Only Democratic Star of 2014|David Freedlander|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But “he was so shocked by the disorganization and lack of seriousness that he submitted his papers to retire.”
The CIA’s Wrong: Arming Rebels Works|Christopher Dickey|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Will the new issues promptly retire when their special task is over?
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
The unhappy applicant was naturally obliged to temporarily retire from the game, at all events for that night.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
A lineman was sent out to repair it under escort of civil guards, who were forced by the rebels to retire.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
“I understood, Baron, that you had quite made up your mind to retire within a very few weeks,” said David Arden.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
"Perhaps you will not care to retire, and would rather sit out where the air is best," she suggested.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux

British Dictionary definitions for retire

retire

/ (rɪˈtaɪə) /

verb (mainly intr)

(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)

to go away, as into seclusion, for recuperation, etc

to go to bed

to recede or disappearthe 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

Derived forms of retire

retirer, noun

Word Origin for retire

C16: from French retirer, from Old French re- + tirer to pull, draw

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

retire

OTHER WORDS FOR retire

Origin of retire

synonym study for retire

OTHER WORDS FROM retire

Other definitions for retire (2 of 2)

Origin of retiré

Words related to retire

How to use retire in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for retire

Derived forms of retire

Word Origin for retire