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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
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
The family employs not only the traditional Hollywood retinues (agents, assistants, stylists, housekeepers) but also people who act as their personal marketing departments, legal teams, and brand consultants.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
In the week or so prior to Trump’s departure for China, leading a retinue of eighteen super-prominent CEOs, sundry media outlets reported that the aerospace colossus is negotiating a giant sale to China’s three major carriers, naturally shepherded by Beijing.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Charles’s retinue included his twenty-six-year-old brother, James, the Duke of York.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retinue
Cite this Entry
“Retinue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retinue. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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retinue
noun
