retire

[ri-tahyuhr]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR retire 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.

Nearby words

Origin of retire

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

SYNONYMS FOR retire

5. leave, withdraw.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR retire ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsre·tir·er, noun

Synonym study

5. See depart.

retiré

[French ruh-tee-rey]

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for retire

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
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

Akhtar will take over from Zaheer-ul-Islam, who is set to retire on Oct. 1.
Pakistan’s New Top Spy Once Suggested Peace With India|Chris Allbritton|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At a quarter past the hour she felt so poorly as to be compelled to retire to her room.
'Farewell, Nikola'|Guy Boothby
But when quite near they saw that it was a Dutch ship, and consequently began to retire in all haste.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume XXII, 1625-29|Various
In that case, he, Nubar, would at once resign his position and retire into private life.
Cities of the Dawn|J. Ewing Ritchie
In 1779 ill health compelled him to retire from the public arena for a year when he again resumed his legislative duties.
Sages and Heroes of the American Revolution|L. Carroll Judson
I retire from the field, conscious that there remains behind not only a large harvest, but labourers capable of gathering it in.
A Legend of Montrose|Sir Walter Scott

British Dictionary definitions for retire

retire

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 Formsretirer, 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

Word Origin and History for retire

retire

1530s, of armies, "to retreat," from Middle French retirer "to withdraw (something)," from re- "back" (see re-) + Old French tirer "to draw" (see tirade). Related: Retired; retiring.

Meaning "to withdraw" to some place, especially for the sake of privacy, is recorded from 1530s; sense of "leave an occupation" first attested 1640s (implied in retirement). Meaning "to leave company and go to bed" is from 1660s. Transitive sense is from 1540s, originally "withdraw, lead back" (troops, etc.); meaning "to remove from active service" is from 1680s. Baseball sense of "to put out" is recorded from 1874.

retire

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

verb (used with object), re·tired, re·tir·ing.

noun Literary.

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Nearby words

Origin of retire

Synonym study

retiré

noun, plural re·ti·rés [French ruh-tee-rey] /French rə tiˈreɪ/. Ballet.

Origin of retiré

Examples from the Web for retire

retire

verb (mainly intr)

Word Origin for retire

retire