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Retinue comes via Middle English from the Anglo-French verb retenir, meaning "to retain or keep in one's pay or service." Another retenir descendant is retainer, which has among its meanings "one who serves a person of high position or rank." In the 14th century, such retainers typically served a noble or royal of some kind, and retinue referred to a collection of retainers—that is, the noble's servants and companions. Nowadays, the word retinue is often used with a bit of exaggeration to refer to the assistants, guards, publicists, and other people who accompany a high-profile individual in public. You might also hear such a collection of folks called a suite or entourage, two other words that come from French.
Examples of retinue in a Sentence
Aleksandra Crapanzano, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2025
By the break of dawn, the southeastern sky, dominated by Orion and his winter retinue, will be magnificent.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Serving Royalty In Geneva And Paris Boutiques Serving captains of industry, discerning collectors as well as members of European royal families and their retinues, Golay Fils & Stahl received a warrant as the official jeweler to the royal family of Romania at the turn of the 20th century.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Nor is Vance the first politician to vacation with an irritating retinue in tow.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retinue
Cite this Entry
“Retinue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retinue. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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retinue
noun
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