retire

verb

re·​tire ri-ˈtī(-ə)r 

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

Synonyms

• settle
• bed
• sleep
• turn in
• nap
• hit the sack
• crash [slang]

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 on the Web

Kathleen Lavanchy, who retired in 2024 from a job at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital in the Philadelphia area, spent much of her career communicating with health insurance companies on behalf of patients. —Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025

The Tiangong space station is poised to take over as the world's primary hub for activity in low-Earth orbit after the International Space Station is retired in 2030. —Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025

Milano retired following the 1999 season with 688 career victories. —Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025

The 32-year-old's mom worked as a medical laboratory scientist at a blood bank for decades before retiring. —Gili Malinsky zachary Green, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French retirer, from re- + tirer to draw

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing retire

• retire the side

Rhymes for retire

• admire
• afire
• aspire
• backfire
• esquire
• expire
• haywire
• hellfire
• inquire
• inspire
• newswire
• perspire

Kids Definition

retire

verb

re·​tire ri-ˈtī(ə)r 

retired; retiring

1

: to get away from action or danger : retreat

2

: to go away especially to be alone

3

: to give up or cause to give up one's job

4

: to go to bed

5

: to put out (a batter or side) in baseball

6

: to win permanent possession of (as a trophy)

Legal Definition

retire

verb

re·​tire

retired; retiring

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from an action

the jury retired for deliberations

transitive verb

: to withdraw from circulation or from the market

retire a loan

retire stock