retrieve

American  

[ri-treev] / rɪˈtriv /

verb (used with object)

• retrieves,
  present (3rd person singular)
• retrieved,
  past participle,  past
• retrieving
  present participle

1. 

   to recover or regain.

   to retrieve the stray ball.

2. to bring back to a former and better state; restore.

   to retrieve one's fortunes.

3. to make amends for.

   to retrieve an error.

4. to make good; repair.

   to retrieve a loss.

5. Hunting. (of hunting dogs) to fetch (killed or wounded game).

6. to draw back or reel in (a fishing line).

7. to rescue; save.

8. (in tennis, squash, handball, etc.) to make an in-bounds return of (a shot requiring running with the hand extended).

9. Computers. to locate and read (data) from storage, as for display on a monitor.

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verb (used without object)

• retrieves,
  present (3rd person singular)
• retrieved,
  past participle,  past
• retrieving
  present participle

1. Hunting. to retrieve game.

2. to retrieve a fishing line.

noun

1. an act of retrieving; recovery.

2. the possibility of recovery.

retrieve British  

/ rɪˈtriːv /

verb

1. to get or fetch back again; recover

   he retrieved his papers from various people's drawers

2. to bring back to a more satisfactory state; revive

3. to extricate from trouble or danger; rescue or save

4. to recover or make newly available (stored information) from a computer system

5. (also intr) (of a dog) to find and fetch (shot game)

6. tennis squash badminton to return successfully (a shot difficult to reach)

7. to recall; remember

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noun

1. the act of retrieving

2. the chance of being retrieved

Synonym Usage

See recover.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• retrievability
  noun
• nonretrievable
  adjective
• retrievable
  adjective
• unretrievable
  adjective
• unretrieved
  adjective
• retrievably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• retrieving
  present
• retrieved
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• retrieve
  simple
• retrieves
  simple
• have retrieved
  perfect
• has retrieved
  perfect
• am retrieving
  progressive
• are retrieving
  progressive
• is retrieving
  progressive
• have been retrieving
  perfect progressive
• has been retrieving
  perfect progressive

Past

• retrieved
  simple
• had retrieved
  perfect
• was retrieving
  progressive
• were retrieving
  progressive
• had been retrieving
  perfect progressive

Future

• will retrieve
  simple
• will have retrieved
  perfect
• will be retrieving
  progressive
• will have been retrieving
  perfect progressive

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

retrieve retrieves retrieved retrieving

I reach into my rucksack and retrieve a letter from Karl's mother, Angela Bushby.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

To retrieve a lost Lululemon credit card holder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Alongside the pearled axons, they found evidence of ultrafast endocytosis, a process through which nerve endings quickly retrieve membrane after releasing chemical messages.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

"My friend and neighbours live in this building. I came to help my friend retrieve some clothes and mattresses. He currently has no shelter or home," Mohannad al-Mashharawi told AFP.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

But it is my duty to retrieve Fly.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

The researchers conclude that tau should be viewed not only as a protein involved in Alzheimer's disease, but also as a fundamental regulator of how the brain organizes, stores, and retrieves lasting memories.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

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

And then in a move that’s remarkably similar to old, competent mom, she retrieves some duct tape from a drawer and sits down next to the basket ready to do some reconstructive surgery.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

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

In a press conference, coast guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said most bodies had been retrieved from the sleeping area of the boat, which had been making a 22-hour journey.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Furious, Byfield retrieved his arm and insisted on burying it properly.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026

Daniel Vizcarra said a local golfer spotted the girl’s body floating down the Dominguez Channel on Tuesday and it was retrieved by deputies and firefighters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Then he reached in again and retrieved one for Jessie, presenting it to her with a gallant bow.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

It was tasked with retrieving information from software operated by a fictional company inside the testing environment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

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

During the initial searches, the French government had been responsible for investigating the crash and Brazilian forces took charge of retrieving the bodies.

From BBC ● May 21, 2026

The danger arises when people believe that the model is retrieving truth rather than generating likelihoods.

From Salon ● May 12, 2026

“Now the ball goes in,” Amaya said, retrieving it herself and popping it into the muzzle.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

Related Words

• bring back
• fetch
• recapture
• reclaim
• recover
• repair
• rescue
• restore
• salvage
• save