Word of the Day

: May 10, 2014

retinue

noun RET-uh-noo

What It Means

: a group of retainers or attendants

retinue in Context

"The Handkerchief Prince was trailed by a retinue of 40 or so Japanese media members, complete with satellite trucks." - From an article by Anthony Rieber in Newsday, March 28, 2014

"Eight men made its retinue, and two of the eight were armed with rusty sabres-sure signs that they followed a person of distinction, for the common folk do not bear arms." - From Rudyard Kipling's 1901 novel Kim

Did You Know?

"Retinue" derives via Middle English from the Anglo-French verb "retenir," meaning "to retain." Another word deriving from "retenir" is "retainer," which means, among other things, "one who serves a person of high position or rank." In the 14th century, that high person of rank was usually a noble or a royal of some kind, and "retinue" referred to that person's collection of servants and companions. Nowadays, the word is often used with a bit of exaggeration to refer to the assistants, guards, publicists, and other people who accompany an actor or other high-profile individual in public. You might also hear such a collection called a "suite" or "entourage," two other words derived from French.