retirement

1 of 2

noun

re·​tire·​ment ri-ˈtī(-ə)r-mənt How to pronounce retirement (audio)
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
Noun
Compensation figures include base salary, cash bonuses, perks, stock options, stock awards and changes in the value of retirement benefits. Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 Miyazaki came out of retirement to make the film, which follows a young boy who moves to the countryside after losing his mother in a hospital fire and encounters a magical grey heron. Chris Lau, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Others are looking to downsize for retirement or sell their house while retaining a home base, often on relatives’ property. Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 On Monday, his brother Jason announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons in the league. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 According to a Federal Reserve survey, 49% of 65 to 74-year-olds had no retirement savings at all as of 2022—even though more than three-quarters of that demographic owned their own homes. Jasmine Li, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 Still, Putin’s ratings suffered after the election when the government raised the retirement age, and then, the mere existence of the pandemic further eroded his popularity. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024 Military guidelines allow a provisional retirement rank if an officer is under investigation for misconduct at the time, as Jackson was during his departure from the Navy. Alex Horton, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 The contract has left the bus workers and mechanics — who make an average of about $56,000 and $43,000 annually, respectively — unable to save for retirement or live comfortably in the area, said Benjamin Lynn, the union spokesman. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Targeting a 4 percent withdrawal rate from retirement savings, my post-retirement income will be about the same as my current income, less current savings contributions. Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2024 Those items, which the UAW said came as a result of bargaining, include a retirement incentive program (UAW Local 1268, in a Facebook post put the figure at $50,000), pre-retirement leave for those within two years of retirement and a voluntary termination of employment program. Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2023 Ann’s post-retirement list includes trying new things. Dallas News, 20 Mar. 2023 Public employees also have access to a wide range of non-retirement benefits. Christian Weller, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023 Keep in mind, this only works for non-retirement accounts. Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2023 Of all the things Ann is doing post-retirement, though, spending time with her grandkids ranks No. 1. Dallas News, 20 Mar. 2023 Calipari, meanwhile, could not take his post-retirement job until next summer. Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2023 That don’t have post-retirement health care. Tom Kertscher, Fortune, 2 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retirement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near retirement

Cite this Entry

“Retirement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retirement. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on retirement

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!