retire

verb re·tire \ ri-ˈtī(-ə)r \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Examples: retire in a Sentence

Definition of retire

retired; retiring

intransitive verb

1 : to withdraw from action or danger : retreat

2 : to withdraw especially for privacy

retired to her room

3 : to move back : recede

4 : to withdraw from one's position or occupation : conclude one's working or professional career

5 : to go to bed

transitive verb

1 : withdraw: such as

a : to march (a military force) away from the enemy

b : to withdraw from circulation or from the market : recall

retire a bond

c : to withdraw from usual use or service

2 : to cause to retire from one's position or occupation

3 a : to put out (a batter) in baseball

b : to cause (a side) to end a turn at bat in baseball

4 : to win permanent possession of (something, such as a trophy)

5 : to pay in full : settle

retire a debt

See retire defined for English-language learners

See retire defined for kids

Examples of retire in a Sentence

I want to be healthy when I retire.
She had to retire during the first set because of a muscle strain.
The Navy is retiring the old battleship.
The manufacturer plans to retire that car model in a few years.
The team is retiring his jersey number in honor of his great career.

Recent Examples of retire from the Web

Yao was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Rockets retired his number in 2017.

— matt young, Houston Chronicle, "Former Rockets star Yao Ming fulfills promise, gets college degree," 13 July 2018
Midfielder Marcel Schafer also retired in June to become the sporting director of VfL Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga.

— charlie hatch, Cincinnati.com, "Scouting report: FC Cincinnati hosts Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday night at Nippert Stadium," 13 July 2018
Justice Anthony Kennedy is retiring effective July 31, and Trump has announced his intent to nominate Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to fill that vacancy.

— brooks jackson, Philly.com, "Trump's Numbers (Second Quarterly Update) | FactCheck," 11 July 2018
The company managed office buildings and shopping centers throughout the nation and sold ownership in those properties to investors, many of them retired individuals and couples.

— john sowell, idahostatesman, "Meridian businessmen who led fraud scheme that hurt 8,500 investors imprisoned at last," 10 July 2018
Justice Anthony Kennedy who was the swing vote in a 2016 decision to uphold race-conscious admissions policies, is retiring at the end of the month.

— deirdre fernandes, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump administration changes course on affirmative action," 4 July 2018
In response to Wednesday’s news that Justice Anthony Kennedy will retire in July, there is concern about the potential repeal of Roe v. Wade.

— emma scornavacchi, The New Republic, "Will Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski save Roe v. Wade? Don’t count on it.," 28 June 2018
Donald Trump will have a second opportunity to convert the U.S. Supreme Court into a white supremacist bastion for generations to come after Justice Anthony Kennedy retires in July.

— terrell jermaine starr, The Root, "We’re Fucked," 27 June 2018
The longest-serving state employees with 40 years in public service can retire at up to two-thirds of their pay, plus Social Security.

— joseph n. distefano, Philly.com, "Pension billions: Can N.J. cops pick better investments than Wall Street pros?," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'retire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of retire

Middle French retirer, from re- + tirer to draw

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1533

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

retire Synonyms

Phrases

give ground, give way, lose ground;

RETIRE Defined for English Language Learners

retire

verb

Definition of retire for English Language Learners

: to stop a job or career because you have reached the age when you are not allowed to work anymore or do not need or want to work anymore
: to cause (someone, such as a military officer) to end a job or career
: to stop playing in a game, competition, etc., especially because of injury