retrieval

noun

re·​triev·​al ri-ˈtrē-vəl How to pronounce retrieval (audio)
1
: an act or process of retrieving
2
: possibility of being retrieved or of recovering
beyond retrieval

Examples of retrieval in a Sentence

the retrieval of stolen goods The system allows quick storage and retrieval of data.
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.
What To Know Footage of the brawl shows several people chasing after one man in a white t-shirt, going from the luggage retrieval area of the debarkation point to what appears to be a hallway leading to either another room or the ship. Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025 After beating Nathan MacKinnon on the opening faceoff of the game, Johnston beat MacKinnon to a puck retrieval after a dump-in by Evgenii Dadonov. Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025 Vanguard 1 could be placed into a lower orbit for retrieval, for instance, or taken to the International Space Station to be repackaged for a ride to Earth. Leonard David, Space.com, 4 Apr. 2025 The combination of Elasticsearch, Logstash and Kibana (the ELK stack) delivers an efficient system to meet these requirements: • Elasticsearch serves as a powerful search and analytics engine that allows for fast retrieval of application logs and data to perform real-time analysis. Roshan Mahant, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for retrieval

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of retrieval was circa 1643

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Cite this Entry

“Retrieval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrieval. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

retrieval

noun
re·​triev·​al ri-ˈtrē-vəl How to pronounce retrieval (audio)
: an act or process of retrieving

More from Merriam-Webster on retrieval

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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