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

Withdrawals from pre-tax retirement accounts incur regular income taxes, whereas Roth funds generally are tax-free. —Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 15 May 2026

These credits increase your monthly retirement benefit. —Thomas Hager, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026

Adjective

Shetty said of the post-retirement fulfillment drop. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 May 2026

Cárdenas returned to Nicaragua in the late 1970s to live in semi-retirement, but political unrest in the country, in the form of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, forced him to flee and eventually return to the United States. —Ed Guzman, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 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