retreat

UK: /rɪˈtriːt/ US: /rɪˈtrit/ ,(ri trēt′)

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

re•treat /rɪˈtrit/   n. 

1. the withdrawal of a military force before an enemy:
   [countable] After suffering many casualties, the troops made a retreat.
   [uncountable] in retreat.
2. a place for quiet thinking or privacy:
   [countable] a beautiful country retreat.
3. a withdrawal for quiet thinking, such as for meditation:
   [countable] The priests go on a retreat once a year.
   [uncountable] They cannot be reached this week; they are on retreat.

v. [no object]

4. to withdraw from an enemy attack:
   The fleet retreated.
5. to make a retreat:
   retreated from the room as she shouted at him.
6. to draw back from an earlier position:
   began to retreat from his earlier strong stand on civil rights.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

retreat / rɪˈtriːt/ verb (mainly intr)

1. to withdraw or retire in the face of or from action with an enemy, either due to defeat or in order to adopt a more favourable position
2. to retire or withdraw, as to seclusion or shelter
3. (of a person's features) to slope back; recede
4. (transitive) to move (a piece) back

noun

1. the act of retreating or withdrawing
2. a withdrawal or retirement in the face of the enemy
3. a bugle call signifying withdrawal or retirement, esp (formerly) to within a defended fortification
4. retirement or seclusion
5. a place, such as a sanatorium or monastery, to which one may retire for refuge, quiet, etc
6. a period of seclusion, esp for religious contemplation
7. an institution, esp a private one, for the care and treatment of people who are mentally ill, infirm, elderly, etc

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French retret, from retraire to withdraw, from Latin retrahere to pull back; see retract

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

re-treat  (rē trēt′), v.t., v.i. 

1. to treat again.

• re- + treat 1880–85

re•treat  (ri trēt′), n. 

1. the forced or strategic withdrawal of an army or an armed force before an enemy, or the withdrawing of a naval force from action.
2. the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy;
   retirement;
   seclusion.
3. a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy:
   The library was his retreat.
4. an asylum, as for the insane.
5. a retirement or a period of retirement for religious exercises and meditation.
6. Military
   • a flag-lowering ceremony held at sunset on a military post.
   • the bugle call or drumbeat played at this ceremony.
7. the recession of a surface, as a wall or panel, from another surface beside it.
8. Idioms beat a retreat, to withdraw or retreat, esp. hurriedly or in disgrace.

v.i. 

9. to withdraw, retire, or draw back, esp. for shelter or seclusion.
10. to make a retreat:
    The army retreated.
11. to slope backward;
    recede:
    a retreating chin.
12. to draw or lead back.

• Latin retractāre to retract²
• Middle French retraitier
• Latin retrahere (re- re- + trahere to draw; see retract¹); (verb, verbal) late Middle English retreten
• Old French, variant of retrait, noun, nominal use of past participle of retraire to draw back
• (noun, nominal) Middle English retret 1300–50

re•treat′al, adj. 
re•treat′er, n. 
re•treat′ive, adj. 
Synonyms

• 2. departure, withdrawal.
• 3. shelter.
• 9. leave, pull back. See depart. 

Antonyms

• 1, 9.
• 10. advance.