RETREAT Definition & Meaning

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retreat

[ ri-treet ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the forced or strategic withdrawal of an army or an armed force before an enemy, or the withdrawing of a naval force from action.
Antonyms:
the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion.
Synonyms: ,
a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy:
The library was his retreat.
Synonyms:
an asylum, as for the insane.
a retirement or a period of retirement for religious exercises and meditation.
Military.
1. a flag-lowering ceremony held at sunset on a military post.
2. the bugle call or drumbeat played at this ceremony.
the recession of a surface, as a wall or panel, from another surface beside it.

verb (used without object)

to withdraw, retire, or draw back, especially for shelter or seclusion.
Synonyms:
Antonyms: ,
to make a retreat:
The army retreated.
Antonyms: ,
to slope backward; recede:
a retreating chin.
to draw or lead back.

retreat

/ ��ɪˈ�ٰ��ː�� /

verb

military to withdraw or retire in the face of or from action with an enemy, either due to defeat or in order to adopt a more favourable position
to retire or withdraw, as to seclusion or shelter
(of a person's features) to slope back; recede
tr chess to move (a piece) back

noun

the act of retreating or withdrawing
military
1. a withdrawal or retirement in the face of the enemy
2. a bugle call signifying withdrawal or retirement, esp (formerly) to within a defended fortification
retirement or seclusion
a place, such as a sanatorium or monastery, to which one may retire for refuge, quiet, etc
a period of seclusion, esp for religious contemplation
an institution, esp a private one, for the care and treatment of people who are mentally ill, infirm, elderly, etc

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Other �y��vlog Forms

��·�ٰ��𲹳�a�� adjective
��·�ٰ��𲹳�İ� noun
��·�ٰ��𲹳�i�� adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of retreat¹

First recorded in 1300–50; (for the noun) Middle English retret, from Old French, variant of retrait, noun use of past participle of retraire “to draw back,” from Latin retrahere ( retract ¹ ); (for the verb) late Middle English retreten, from Middle French retraitier, from Latin ��ٰ�� “to reconsider, withdraw” ( retract ² )

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of retreat¹

C14: from Old French retret , from retraire to withdraw, from Latin retrahere to pull back; see retract

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Idioms and Phrases

beat a retreat, to withdraw or retreat, especially hurriedly or in disgrace.

More idioms and phrases containing retreat

see beat a retreat .

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Synonym Study

See depart.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But since resuming office in January, Trump has repeatedly threatened new rounds of tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, often retreating from his plans at the last moment.

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After retreating to Naungcho, they would be continuing their journey, the group said in a statement.

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“Ludwig” is an even-keeled exploration of empathy through the eyes of someone who experienced common childhood tragedies of bullying and parental abandonment and chose to retreat from life instead of trudging forth.

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The order converted the vast house and setting as a spiritual retreat, which it remains to this day.

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Descriptions for immersive experiences in 2025 have the tendency to sound like mental health retreats.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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