retiree
Americannoun
-
retirees
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of retiree
Explanation
A retiree is a person who has permanently stopped working. Florida is famous for being a state where many retirees live. That's why Florida has so many golf courses (and nursing homes). Most retirees are 65 or older — they've worked their whole lives, and when they retire, or cease working, they're taking a well-deserved break. Many older people continue to work, instead of becoming retirees. The word retiree comes from retire, which first meant "to retreat," and later "to withdraw to a private place." The suffix -ee is often used in legal terms to mean "initiator of an action."
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.
See Examples For:
For a 65-year old retiree, that means his retirement income security is set until at least he’s 106.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Unlike the four major professional sports in the U.S., wrestlers have no pension and no retiree health benefits.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
As for portfolio allocation, we assumed the retiree follows a linear shift in asset mix, starting with 50% stocks at age 65 and moving to 0% in stocks at age 95.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
“Everyone knows their postman’s name — right?” a bedridden retiree nervously trills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Colin watched in a lock-jawed silence as Hassan furiously stabbed at his breakfast, and later as Hassan slammed the mini-recorder down on the coffee table of some factory retiree who was old-but-not-old-enough-for-the-nursing home.
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
We haven’t yet subordinated our creditors to our retirees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
And retirees aren’t the only buyers — pension funds, insurers, foreign institutions and even younger investors suddenly have a reason to take Treasurys seriously.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
He ticked through a laundry list of Florida constituents – retirees, teachers, emergency workers, restaurant staff and local government employees, flagging that they need to be able to "make ends meet".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Trump, like many other soon-to-be retirees, ultimately may be more interested in a little home improvement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Children played while parents and elderly retirees watched from their benches.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
