retired

retired — adjective

1. Someone who is retired has left their job at the end of their working life and d

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Someone who is retired has left their job at the end of their working life and does not work for pay anymore.

Example

Mark's father is retired and spends most of his time gardening at home.

predicative: is retired

The retired principal still visits the school to help new teachers.

attributive: the retired [noun]

Common collocations
  • newly retired
  • recently retired
  • retired teacher / doctor / nurse / soldier / police officer
  • retired couple / man / woman / person
  • retired on a pension
  • retired early
  • long-retired
Synonyms
  • former

    Broader in meaning — describes anyone who previously held a position, whether they retired or simply moved on (a former manager may have been promoted or fired, not necessarily retired).

  • pensioned off

    Informal, British; often implies the person was forced or expected to retire, and can sound dismissive.

  • emeritus

    Formal title used mainly for professors or clergy who keep their rank after retiring; not used for ordinary jobs.

Antonyms
  • working

    Direct opposite — currently employed or active in a job.

  • employed

    Having a paid job, as opposed to being retired.

Grammar Patterns

be + retired (predicative)

retired + noun (attributive)

Usage Note

Frequently used both attributively (a retired teacher) and predicatively (she is retired). When predicative, the adjective describes a permanent state — the person no longer works for a living. Does not apply to objects, institutions, or temporary states.

Common Mistakes

My father is retired from the army since 2010.
My father has been retired since 2010.
The adjective retired does not combine with a 'since' time clause in the simple present; use the present perfect or switch to the verb form.
I felt very retired after the long trip.
I felt very tired after the long trip.
Retired only describes someone who has stopped working; it does not mean 'tired' or 'exhausted.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Retired is the standard, neutral term for someone who has stopped working at the end of their career. Former is much broader: it can describe anyone who previously held a position (a former teammate, a former president), regardless of why they left. Pensioned off is informal and British, often carrying a negative tone — it suggests the person was pushed out rather than choosing to leave. Emeritus is a formal honorary title reserved for retired professors, judges, or clergy, and is placed after the noun (professor emeritus). For example: 'The retired colonel now runs a bed and breakfast' (neutral fact); 'She is a former colleague of mine' (no implication of retirement); 'They pensioned off the old manager' (implies reluctance or force).

retired ↗former ↗pensioned offemeritus

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • retired on a pension
  • retired from active service
  • retired at [age]

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Retired comes from the French verb retirer, meaning 'to draw back' or 'to withdraw,' formed from re- 'back' and tirer 'to draw.' It entered English in the 1500s with the sense of withdrawing to a private place. By the mid-1600s, it had developed the meaning 'to leave one's occupation.' The adjective form arose naturally from the verb and has been in common use since the 1700s.