Did you know?
Retinue comes via Middle English from the Anglo-French verb retenir, meaning "to retain or keep in one's pay or service." Another retenir descendant is retainer, which has among its meanings "one who serves a person of high position or rank." In the 14th century, such retainers typically served a noble or royal of some kind, and retinue referred to a collection of retainers—that is, the noble's servants and companions. Nowadays, the word retinue is often used with a bit of exaggeration to refer to the assistants, guards, publicists, and other people who accompany a high-profile individual in public. You might also hear such a collection of folks called a suite or entourage, two other words that come from French.
Examples of retinue in a Sentence
Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
The Driskill even has its very own retinue of weeping female ghosts.
—Rona Berg, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Early in the last campaign cycle, a retinue of Fox hosts and contributors promoted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over Trump, leading to a rift between the two.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
Political elites—politicians and their retinues, interest groups, campaign donors, and media that stir up readers by applauding one side—orchestrated this process.
—Jonathan Schlefer, Foreign Affairs, 15 Mar. 2021
See All Example Sentences for retinue
Cite this Entry
“Retinue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retinue. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
retinue
noun
Share