retire

UK: /rɪˈtaɪə^r/ US: /rɪˈtaɪr/ ,(ri tī^ər′)

Inflections of 'retire' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

retires

v 3rd person singular

retiring

v pres p

retired

v past

retired

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

re•tire /rɪˈtaɪr/   v., -tired, -tir•ing. 

1. to withdraw, esp. to a place of privacy:
   [no object] retired to her study.
2. to go to bed:
   [no object] I'll retire for the night now.
3. to (cause to) give up or withdraw from a job or career, usually because of age: [no object]
   Dad retired from the fire department.
   [~ + object]
   The navy decided to retire the old battleship.
4. to fall back or retreat, such as from battle or danger:
   [no object] We retired and the enemy consolidated their position.
5. Sport to put out (a batter or team):
   [~ + object] The relief pitcher came in and retired the next seven batters.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

re•tire  (ri tī^ər′), v., -tired, -tir•ing, n. 
v.i. 

1. to withdraw, or go away or apart, to a place of privacy, shelter, or seclusion:
   He retired to his study.
2. to go to bed:
   He retired at midnight.
3. to withdraw from office, business, or active life, usually because of age:
   to retire at the age of sixty.
4. to fall back or retreat in an orderly fashion and according to plan, as from battle, an untenable position, danger, etc.
5. to withdraw or remove oneself:
   After announcing the guests, the butler retired.

v.t. 

6. to withdraw from circulation by taking up and paying, as bonds, bills, etc.;
   redeem.
7. Military to withdraw or lead back (troops, ships, etc.), as from battle or danger;
   retreat.
8. to remove from active service or the usual field of activity, as an army officer or business executive.
9. to withdraw (a machine, ship, etc.) permanently from its normal service, usually for scrapping;
   take out of use.
10. Sport to put out (a batter, side, etc.).

n. Literary. 

11. a place of withdrawal;
    retreat:
    a cool retire from summer's heat.
12. retirement or withdrawal, as from worldly matters or the company of others.

• Middle French retirer to withdraw, equivalent. to re- re- + tirer to draw
• 1525–35

re•tir′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 5. leave, withdraw. See depart. 

re•ti•ré  (Fr. rə tē rā′), n., pl. -ti•rés (Fr. -tē rā′). [Ballet.]

1. Music and Dance a movement in which the dancer brings one foot to the knee of the supporting leg and then returns it to the fifth position.

• French, past participle of retirer to retire

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

retire / rɪˈtaɪə/ verb (mainly intr)

1. (also tr) to give up or to cause (a person) to give up his or her work, a post, etc, esp on reaching pensionable age
2. to go away, as into seclusion, for recuperation, etc
3. to go to bed
4. to recede or disappear: the sun retired behind the clouds
5. to withdraw from a sporting contest, esp because of injury
6. (also tr) to pull back (troops, etc) from battle or an exposed position or (of troops, etc) to fall back
7. (transitive) to remove (money) from circulation

Etymology: 16th Century: from French retirer, from Old French re- + tirer to pull, draw

reˈtirer noun