retired

[ri-tahyuhrd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR retired ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

withdrawn from or no longer occupied with one's business or profession: a retired banker.

due or given a retired person: retired pay.

secluded or sequestered: a retired little village.

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 for retired

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR retired ON THESAURUS.COM

3. isolated, removed, solitary.

retire

[ri-tahyuhr]

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.

Origin of retire

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

Related formsre·tir·er, noun

Synonyms for retire

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. 2019

Related Words for retired

resigned, elderly, retiring, discharged, superannuated, separated, secluded, isolated, detached, removed, withdrawn, retreated, shy, humble, cloistered, emerita, emeritus, apart, distant

Examples from the Web for retired

Contemporary Examples of retired

“Barbarism,” said retired NYPD Officer Jim Smith on Thursday.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists
Michael Daly
January 9, 2015
He noted in his address that both his mother and his father are retired NYPD detectives.
Cop Families Boo De Blasio at NYPD Graduation
Michael Daly
December 30, 2014
A 59-year-old retired subway train driver, who gave his name only as Artist, admitted that he had family members in the NYPD.
Protesters Demand Justice For Gurley As Gap Grows Between Cops and NYC
M.L. Nestel
December 28, 2014
The young Jordanian pilot comes from a well-known military family in the kingdom and his uncle is a retired major general.
Did ISIS Shoot Down a Fighter Jet?
Jamie Dettmer, Christopher Dickey
December 24, 2014
The Tampa Bay Times got their hands on a full copy of the letter the retired judge sent to Winston.
Jameis Winston Cleared of Rape Like Every Other College Sports Star
Robert Silverman
December 22, 2014

Historical Examples of retired

He gave them one fire, by which a captain was killed, and retired.
A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion
William Dobein James
When Mrs. Western retired to her room for the night, it was not to sleep.
Life in London
Edwin Hodder
She would have retired her into the land of things-one-must-forget.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Every one retired to the soup-plate he had scooped in the earth.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
Kingozi retired again to his cot; but for a long time he could not get to sleep.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White

British Dictionary definitions for retired

retired

adjective

having given up one's work, office, etc, esp on completion of the normal period of servicea retired headmistress
(as collective noun; preceded by the)the retired

withdrawn; secludeda retired life; a retired cottage in the woods

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 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.

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.