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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.
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Examples of retinue in a Sentence
Amy Dubois Barnett, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2024
The list of people’s stressors included arguments with a family member, work deadlines, an overload of home tasks and a retinue of ordinary daily hassles.
—Francine Russo, Scientific American, 5 Apr. 2023
For instance, Prince Charles (Emmy nominee Dominic West) seeks his family’s approval of his fiancée, Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams), even as his retinue encourages him to publicly tarnish his ex-wife, Diana.
—Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2024
Entitled male predators, protection by a retinue of enablers, and silencing by payoff or litigation are still foundational to our national power structure.
—Nina Burleigh, Washington Post, 10 July 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Retinue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retinue. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.
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retinue
noun
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