- (v.i.) To withdraw from a public station or from business; as, having made a large fortune, he retired.
- (v.i.) To recede; to fall or bend back; as, the shore of the sea retires in bays and gulfs.
- (n.) A call sounded on a bugle, announcing to skirmishers that they are to retire or fall back.
- (v.i.) To go back or return; to draw back or away; to keep aloof; to withdraw or retreat, as from observation; to go into privacy; as, to retire to his home; to retire from the world or from notice.
- (v.t.) To withdraw; to take away; -- sometimes used reflexively.
- (v.t.) To withdraw from circulation or from the market; to take up and pay; as, to retire bonds; to retire a note.
- (v.i.) To go to bed; as, he usually retires early.
- (v.t.) To cause to retire; specifically, to designate as no longer qualified for active service; to place on the retired list; as, to retire a military or naval officer.
- (v.i.) To retreat from action or danger; to withdraw for safety or pleasure; as, to retire from battle.
- (n.) The act of retiring or the state of being retired; also, a place to which one retires.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). retire. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/retire/definitions/2055332 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "retire" http://smartdefine.org/retire/definitions/2055332 (accessed September 23, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, retire, Smart Define, viewed 23 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/retire/definitions/2055332>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "retire" 27 May 2011. Web. 23 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/retire/definitions/2055332> |