Retire
/rɪˈtaɪər/noun
To stop working permanently or withdraw from an activity, place, or social life.
Did you know?The sense of leaving employment developed later; earlier English uses of “retire” focused on withdrawing from public life, battle, or society.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tragh-
“To draw, pull, or drag; the disputed deep root behind Latin trahere and related forms.”
Classical Latin
Latin
retrahere
“To draw back, pull away, or withdraw.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
retirare
“To draw back or withdraw; a later formation associated with the Romance verb.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
retirer
“To withdraw, draw back, or take back.”
14th Century
Middle English
retiren
“To withdraw or retreat from public activity.”
16th–17th Century
English
retire
“To withdraw to privacy; later, to leave military or professional service.”
Modern English
English
retire
“To stop working permanently or withdraw from an activity or place.”