retrieval

[ri-tree-vuh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR retrieval ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of retrieving.

the chance of recovery or restoration: lost beyond retrieval.

Origin of retrieval

First recorded in 1635–45; retrieve + -al²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for retrieval

rebirth, renascence, recuperation, revival, rejuvenation, renewal, revivification, resurgence, regeneration, improvement, renaissance, repossession, cure, healing, resuscitation, resurrection, comeback, betterment, rehabilitation, convalescence

Examples from the Web for retrieval

Historical Examples of retrieval

It was just the moment for the Church party to attempt a retrieval of their lost power.
The Slave Of The Lamp
Henry Seton Merriman
In Æschylus, when once "destiny" is about, all retrieval grows absurd.
The English Novel
Sidney Lanier
He is the best who wins the most splendid victories by the retrieval of mistakes.
Thoughts for the Quiet Hour
Various
But what retrieval of lost comeliness could be effected in a day or two?
The Mountebank
William J. Locke
The abolition of slavery, and the retrieval of specie in this colony, are the subjects on which I would bespeak their attention.
Some Historical Account of Guinea, Its Situation, Produce, and the General Disposition of Its Inhabitants
Anthony Benezet

British Dictionary definitions for retrieval

retrieval

noun

the act or process of retrieving

the possibility of recovery, restoration, or rectification (esp in the phrase beyond retrieval)

a computer filing operation that recalls records or other data from a file

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for retrieval

1640s, from retrieve + -al (2).

retrieval in Medicine

retrieval

[rĭ-trē′vəl]

n.

The third stage in the memory process, after encoding and storage, involving mental processes associated with bringing stored information back into consciousness.