retreat

[ri-treet]

noun

1. the forced or strategic withdrawal of an army or an armed force before an enemy, or the withdrawing of a naval force from action.

   Antonyms: advance

2. the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion.

   Synonyms: withdrawal, departure

3. a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy.

   The library was his retreat.

   Synonyms: shelter

4. an asylum, as for the insane.

5. a retirement or a period of retirement for religious exercises and meditation.

6. Military.

   1. a flag-lowering ceremony held at sunset on a military post.

   2. the bugle call or drumbeat played at this ceremony.

7. the recession of a surface, as a wall or panel, from another surface beside it.

verb (used without object)

1. to withdraw, retire, or draw back, especially for shelter or seclusion.

   Synonyms: leave
   Antonyms: advance, engage

2. to make a retreat.

   The army retreated.

   Antonyms: advance, engage

3. to slope backward; recede.

   a retreating chin.

4. to draw or lead back.

retreat

/ rɪˈtriːt /

verb

1. military to withdraw or retire in the face of or from action with an enemy, either due to defeat or in order to adopt a more favourable position

2. to retire or withdraw, as to seclusion or shelter

3. (of a person's features) to slope back; recede

4. (tr) chess to move (a piece) back

noun

1. the act of retreating or withdrawing

2. military

   1. a withdrawal or retirement in the face of the enemy

   2. a bugle call signifying withdrawal or retirement, esp (formerly) to within a defended fortification

3. retirement or seclusion

4. a place, such as a sanatorium or monastery, to which one may retire for refuge, quiet, etc

5. a period of seclusion, esp for religious contemplation

6. an institution, esp a private one, for the care and treatment of people who are mentally ill, infirm, elderly, etc

Other Word Forms

• retreatal adjective
• retreater noun
• retreative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of retreat¹

First recorded in 1300–50; (for the noun) Middle English retret, from Old French, variant of retrait, noun use of past participle of retraire “to draw back,” from Latin retrahere ( retract ¹ ); (for the verb) late Middle English retreten, from Middle French retraitier, from Latin retractāre “to reconsider, withdraw” ( retract ² )

Word History and Origins

Origin of retreat¹

C14: from Old French retret , from retraire to withdraw, from Latin retrahere to pull back; see _retract

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. beat a retreat, to withdraw or retreat, especially hurriedly or in disgrace.

see beat a retreat.

Synonym Study

See depart.

Example Sentences

The family now also owns a home and working farm and ranch in Hawaii, where they throw CZI retreats with team building and karaoke, and a home in Lake Tahoe.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As the ice retreats, it creates conditions that encourage the growth of algae, the foundation of the Arctic's marine food web.

Read more on Science Daily

Current owner and entrepreneur Jamie Waller said it "offers something truly rare – a self-contained island retreat located in one of England's most desirable riverside settings".

Read more on BBC

Therapists are urged to attend $1,500 “antiracism” retreats and workshops like “Getting Free From Whiteness.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Israel’s military reported that Palestinians had approached troops and refused to retreat even after warnings.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• abandon 
• back down 
• back off 
• backtrack 
• depart 
• escape 
• evacuate 
• fall back 
• go 
• go back 
• hide 
• leave 
• pull out 
• recede 
• reel 
• retire 
• reverse 
• shrink 
• withdraw