retrieve

1 of 2

verb

re·​trieve ri-ˈtrēv 

retrieved; retrieving

transitive verb

1

: to locate and bring in (killed or wounded game)

2

: to call to mind again

3

: to get back again : regain

4

a

: rescue, salvage

b

: to return (something, such as a ball or shuttlecock that is difficult to reach) successfully

5

: restore, revive

his writing retrieves the past

6

: to remedy the evil consequences of : correct

7

: to get and bring back

especially : to recover from storage

retrieve information

intransitive verb

: to bring in game

a dog that retrieves well

also : to bring back an object thrown by a person

retrievability

ri-ˌtrē-və-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

retrievable

ri-ˈtrē-və-bəl 

adjective

retrieve

2 of 2

noun

1

: retrieval

2

: the successful return of a ball that is difficult to reach or control (as in tennis)

Synonyms

Verb

• get back
• re-collect
• reacquire
• recapture
• reclaim
• recoup
• recover
• regain
• repossess
• retake

Examples of retrieve in a Sentence

Verb

Many archaeological relics were retrieved from the site.

Police retrieved his stolen car.

You can quickly retrieve data.

The files were retrieved from the computer.

He was able to retrieve the document.

The dog is learning how to retrieve.

The dog has been trained to retrieve birds.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Once the suitcase crashed down, Dr. Rose and his team drove through the night to retrieve the carry-on, hoping for the best but keeping expectations reasonable. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2024

There is an ongoing legal dispute over who was the first to retrieve the ball and was the rightful owner before its sale. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2024

Noun

As retrieve requests are forwarded, so are the responses backward along the path, allowing nodes to cache the chunks. —Viktor Trón, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

Anglers can see how a fish reacts to a bait, retrieve, and presentation. —Chad Morgenthaler, Outdoor Life, 8 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English retreven, from Anglo-French retrueve-, present stem of retrover to find again, from re- + trover to compose, invent, find, from Vulgar Latin *tropare — more at troubadour

First Known Use

Verb

1814, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

retrieve

verb

re·​trieve

ri-ˈtrēv

retrieved; retrieving

1

: to find and bring in killed or wounded game

teach a dog how to retrieve

2

: to recover or make good a loss or damage

retrieved artifacts from the shipwreck

3

: to get and bring back

especially : to recover (as information) from storage

retrievable

-ˈtrē-və-bəl

adjective