retire

verb

re·​tire ri-ˈtī(-ə)r 

retired; retiring

intransitive verb

1

: to withdraw from action or danger : retreat

2

: to withdraw especially for privacy

retired to her room

3

: to move back : recede

4

: to withdraw from one's position or occupation : conclude one's working or professional career

5

: to go to bed

transitive verb

1

: withdraw: such as

a

: to march (a military force) away from the enemy

b

: to withdraw from circulation or from the market : recall

retire a bond

c

: to withdraw from usual use or service

2

: to cause to retire from one's position or occupation

3

a

: to put out (a batter) in baseball

b

: to cause (a side) to end a turn at bat in baseball

4

: to win permanent possession of (something, such as a trophy)

5

: to pay in full : settle

retire a debt

Synonyms

• bed
• crash [slang]
• doss (down) [chiefly British]
• turn in

Examples of retire in a Sentence

I want to be healthy when I retire.

She had to retire during the first set because of a muscle strain.

The Navy is retiring the old battleship.

The manufacturer plans to retire that car model in a few years.

The team is retiring his jersey number in honor of his great career.

Recent Examples on the Web

How to Watch Ohio State at USC: Date: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025 Time: 9:00 PM EST Channel: FOX Stream: Fubo (Try for free) USC suffered its first conference loss last weekend, falling 76-69 to Iowa in the game where the Hawkeyes retired Caitlin Clark's jersey. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025

Under this plan the teachers could retire to comfortable retirements in the Carolinas and Florida while the rest of us try to figure out how to pay our BGE bills. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025

The Hubble Space Telescope has been aloft for 35 years and is still at work—thanks in part to the five servicing missions astronauts made to the telescope before the space shuttles were retired in 2011. —Jeffrey Kluger/greenbelt, TIME, 8 Feb. 2025

Long retired, Kelly and Mazzone have been replaced by a younger cohort. —Theo Karantsalis, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French retirer, from re- + tirer to draw

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing retire

• retire the side

Kids Definition

retire

verb

re·​tire ri-ˈtī(ə)r 

retired; retiring

1

: to get away from action or danger : retreat

2

: to go away especially to be alone

3

: to give up or cause to give up one's job

4

: to go to bed

5

: to put out (a batter or side) in baseball

6

: to win permanent possession of (as a trophy)

Legal Definition

retire

verb

re·​tire

retired; retiring

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from an action

the jury retired for deliberations

transitive verb

: to withdraw from circulation or from the market

retire a loan

retire stock