retirement

1 of 2

noun

re·​tire·​ment ri-ˈtī(-ə)r-mənt 

1

a

: an act of retiring : the state of being retired

b

: withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from active working life

c

: the age at which one normally retires

reaches retirement in May

2

: a place of seclusion or privacy

retirement

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or designed for retired persons

Synonyms of retirement

Noun

• withdrawal
• retreat

Examples of retirement in a Sentence

Noun

She decided to take an early retirement.

Many fans were surprised by the champion's retirement.

The staff is smaller because of several retirements.

I'm looking forward to retirement.

He is ready for retirement.

He came out of retirement to play baseball again.

She has remained very active during retirement.

The staff all wished her a long and happy retirement.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The seat is opening up because of Daines’s retirement, who chose not to run for a third term minutes before the March filing deadline to minimize the risk that Alme would attract a major challenger. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

The former policeman turned recluse comes out of retirement to try to figure out whether the boy’s missing sister is still alive. — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 4 Nov. 2026

Adjective

While the adjustment is intended to offset inflation, Social Security is intended to be a safety net, not a full replacement of your pre-retirement income. — David McMillin,dan Avery, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

In your audit, emergency reserves are separated from non-retirement assets because they should not ever be drained unless there is an emergency. — Cicely Jones, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1919, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing retirement

• come out of retirement
• individual retirement account
• pre-retirement
• retirement home
• retirement plan

Rhymes for retirement

• postretirement
• preretirement

Kids Definition

retirement

1 of 2 noun

re·​tire·​ment ri-ˈtī(ə)r-mənt 

: an act of retiring : the state of being retired

especially : the leaving of one's job permanently

retirement

2 of 2 adjective

: of, relating to, or made for retired persons

a retirement community