Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

retired

[ri-tahyuh rd]
See more synonyms for retired on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. withdrawn from or no longer occupied with one's business or profession: a retired banker.
  2. due or given a retired person: retired pay.
  3. secluded or sequestered: a retired little village.
Show More

Origin of retired

First recorded in 1580–90; retire + -ed2
Related formsre·tired·ly, adverbre·tired·ness, nounnon·re·tired, adjectivequa·si-re·tired, adjectiveself-re·tired, adjectivesem·i·re·tired, adjectiveun·re·tired, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for retired on Thesaurus.com
3. isolated, removed, solitary.

retire

[ri-tahyuh r]
verb (used without object), re·tired, re·tir·ing.
  1. to withdraw, or go away or apart, to a place of privacy, shelter, or seclusion: He retired to his study.
  2. to go to bed: He retired at midnight.
  3. to withdraw from office, business, or active life, usually because of age: to retire at the age of sixty.
  4. to fall back or retreat in an orderly fashion and according to plan, as from battle, an untenable position, danger, etc.
  5. to withdraw or remove oneself: After announcing the guests, the butler retired.
Show More
verb (used with object), re·tired, re·tir·ing.
  1. to withdraw from circulation by taking up and paying, as bonds, bills, etc.; redeem.
  2. to withdraw or lead back (troops, ships, etc.), as from battle or danger; retreat.
  3. to remove from active service or the usual field of activity, as an army officer or business executive.
  4. to withdraw (a machine, ship, etc.) permanently from its normal service, usually for scrapping; take out of use.
  5. Sports. to put out (a batter, side, etc.).
Show More
noun Literary.
  1. a place of withdrawal; retreat: a cool retire from summer's heat.
  2. retirement or withdrawal, as from worldly matters or the company of others.
Show More

Origin of retire

1525–35; < Middle French retirer to withdraw, equivalent to re- re- + tirer to draw
Related formsre·tir·er, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for retire on Thesaurus.com
5. leave, withdraw.

Synonym study

5. See depart.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for retired

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

British Dictionary definitions for retired

retired

adjective
    1. having given up one's work, office, etc, esp on completion of the normal period of servicea retired headmistress
    2. (as collective noun; preceded by the)the retired
  2. withdrawn; secludeda retired life; a retired cottage in the woods
Show More

retire

verb (mainly intr)
  1. (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)
  2. to go away, as into seclusion, for recuperation, etc
  3. to go to bed
  4. to recede or disappearthe sun retired behind the clouds
  5. to withdraw from a sporting contest, esp because of injury
  6. (also tr) to pull back (troops, etc) from battle or an exposed position or (of troops, etc) to fall back
  7. (tr)
    1. to remove (bills, bonds, shares, etc) from circulation by taking them up and paying for them
    2. to remove (money) from circulation
Show More
Derived Formsretirer, noun

Word Origin

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 retired

adj.

1580s, "separated from society or public notice," past participle adjective from retire (v.). Meaning "having given up business" is from 1824. Abbreviation ret'd. attested from 1942.

Show More

retire

v.

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.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper