retrieve
Americanverb (used with object)
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retrieves,
present (3rd person singular)
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retrieved,
past participle, past
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retrieving
present participle
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to recover or regain.
to retrieve the stray ball.
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to bring back to a former and better state; restore.
to retrieve one's fortunes.
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to make amends for.
to retrieve an error.
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to make good; repair.
to retrieve a loss.
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Hunting. (of hunting dogs) to fetch (killed or wounded game).
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to draw back or reel in (a fishing line).
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to rescue; save.
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(in tennis, squash, handball, etc.) to make an in-bounds return of (a shot requiring running with the hand extended).
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Computers. to locate and read (data) from storage, as for display on a monitor.
verb (used without object)
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retrieves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
retrieved,
past participle, past
-
retrieving
present participle
-
Hunting. to retrieve game.
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to retrieve a fishing line.
noun
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an act of retrieving; recovery.
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the possibility of recovery.
verb
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to get or fetch back again; recover
he retrieved his papers from various people's drawers
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to bring back to a more satisfactory state; revive
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to extricate from trouble or danger; rescue or save
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to recover or make newly available (stored information) from a computer system
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(also intr) (of a dog) to find and fetch (shot game)
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tennis squash badminton to return successfully (a shot difficult to reach)
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to recall; remember
noun
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the act of retrieving
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the chance of being retrieved
Synonym Usage
See recover.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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retrievabilitynoun
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nonretrievableadjective
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retrievableadjective
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unretrievableadjective
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unretrievedadjective
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retrievablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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retrievesimple
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retrievessimple
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have retrievedperfect
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has retrievedperfect
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am retrievingprogressive
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are retrievingprogressive
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is retrievingprogressive
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have been retrievingperfect progressive
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has been retrievingperfect progressive
Past
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retrievedsimple
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had retrievedperfect
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was retrievingprogressive
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were retrievingprogressive
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had been retrievingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of retrieve
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English retreven, from Middle French retroev-, retreuv-, tonic stem of retrouver “to find again,” equivalent to re- re- + trouver “to find”; see trover
Explanation
When you retrieve something, you bring it back. Lots of dogs love to retrieve tennis balls, bringing them back to you over and over again. You might retrieve your cell phone from the car, or the toys a baby throws repeatedly on the floor. You can also retrieve a memory from the recesses of your mind, or struggle to remember someone's name and then suddenly retrieve it. A retriever is a dog that's bred to bring things back — in fact, this is the word's earliest use, from the fifteenth century. The Old French root is retreuver, "find again," from re-, "again," and trouver, "to find."
Vocabulary lists containing retrieve
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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:
Internal affairs investigators were tailing Meiser when he drove to retrieve the package from the woman at the gas station in Valencia, according to investigators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
When Vlasenko scrambled out to retrieve the parcel, another drone—this one Russian—suddenly appeared.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The sights, sounds, and other details associated with past experiences can become increasingly difficult to retrieve.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
"Our mission is not to wipe out the gangs in Haiti" but to retrieve the four Salvadoran technicians, Bukele told journalists at a press conference late on Thursday, as he sought to address the concerns.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
It is a detailed code with instructions on how to retrieve Courage’s online capabilities.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Apple needs to “evolve Siri into an agent that understands intent, retrieves context, calls apps and completes workflows,” Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote in a note last week.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 6, 2026
OpenAI, meanwhile, says it has shipped an update for Plus and Pro users that improves how memory finds and retrieves details.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
It is also a gesture of trust; the person holding the mic treats the responsibility as sacred and does not move until Cave retrieves the microphone a few bars later.
From Salon ● May 13, 2025
Corby retrieves the bag and starts the car.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2025
Walter hauls the trunks away from the wall and retrieves Camel.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
That is, it’s low if you go through the full process of having your eggs retrieved at 44, fertilized, and then an embryo implanted.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Indeed, I had blocked out most memories of that 2004 Fox reality train wreck until Carr’s documentary reached into my mind’s cobwebby attic and retrieved its cabinet of horrors.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
Asking, “When was my son’s dentist appointment?” pulled the date from a text reminder, while “What’s my passport number?” retrieved the data from Photos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
They retrieved the bodies of Nadhira Al Harthy, the first Omani woman to climb Everest, and Pur Bahadur Gurung, a Nepalese climber who had summited 12 of the world's 14 highest peaks.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Ella riffled through her satchel and retrieved a book almost the size of her.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Some ship owners may be reluctant to let their vessels return to such a volatile region after finally retrieving them, experts say.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026
The danger arises when people believe that the model is retrieving truth rather than generating likelihoods.
From Salon ● May 12, 2026
In a video provided to the BBC by rescue officials, workers could be seen digging through a thick layer of black volcanic ash beneath a large rock and retrieving bone fragments.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
These cells are critical for storing and retrieving memories.
From Science Daily ● May 3, 2026
The other end of the spear had a nylon cord attached to it for retrieving.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
