adjective
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having given up one's work, office, etc, esp on completion of the normal period of service
a retired headmistress
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( as collective noun ; preceded by the )
the retired
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withdrawn; secluded
a retired life
a retired cottage in the woods
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of retired
Explanation
Someone who's retired has stopped working permanently. A retired teacher who misses his job might volunteer at an after-school program. Most retired people in the U.S. are over the age of 65, although some are able to retire earlier, and some continue working well into their 70s or 80s. Some jobs provide pensions, or partial salaries, to retired workers, and other retired people take advantage of government-provided benefits like Social Security. To retire means "to stop working," but also "to retreat or withdraw," and in the 1500s, retired meant "separated or withdrawn from society."
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.
Retired Hall-of-Fame jockey and NBC analyst Jerry Bailey said if he were given the choice of riding any horse in this year’s Derby field, he would pick Further Ado.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Trump’s first national security adviser, Retired Army Lt.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026
Retired punter Greg Coleman wrote on X that “one of the happiest moments of my time with the Vikings” was learning that Browner was going to be added to the punt team.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
Retired Indian diplomat Rakesh Sood described New Delhi's ties with Nepal as "extensive", encompassing trade, tourism and hydropower.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
Retired worn out; slept soundly; awaked by mate telling me that both man of watch and steersman missing.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
