Work and business / B1

ri-TEYE-uh/rɪˈtaɪə/

You retire when you stop work, usually because of age: retire at 66; retire from teaching; take early retirement. Resign is leaving a job at any age to do something else; pension is the money. Retired is the adjective, retirement is the period, and retiree is more US. Do not say “I retired from the meeting for five minutes” in UK English — that is I stepped out. A retiring person can also mean shy (extra sense).

Meaning

To stop working, usually because you have reached a certain age.

Examples

• “Many people cannot afford to retire at sixty-five.”
• “She retired from the NHS after forty years on the ward.”
• “They cannot afford to retire until both pensions start.”

Good to know

retire at + age; retire from a job. Noun: retirement. Money: pension. Leave a job earlier: resign. Adjective: retired.

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