retirement

1 of 2

noun

re·​tire·​ment ri-ˈtī(-ə)r-mənt How to pronounce retirement (audio)
Synonyms of retirementnext
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
About half — 51% — of women hold their non-retirement funds either in traditional checking or savings accounts, or in physical cash, according to Vanguard's nationally representative survey of 1,007 adult women conducted in April. Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 8 May 2026 In the absence of this statewide statute of limitations and without clear guidance around post-retirement laws, those representing local governments expressed exasperation at the prospect of fighting similar expensive legal battles with CalPERS in the future. William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for retirement

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retirement was in 1536

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Cite this Entry

“Retirement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retirement. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

retirement

1 of 2 noun
re·​tire·​ment ri-ˈtī(ə)r-mənt How to pronounce retirement (audio)
: 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

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