What does retreat mean?

Definitions for retreat
rɪˈtritre·treat

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word retreat.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. retreatnoun

    (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat

    "the disorderly retreat of French troops"

  2. retreatnoun

    a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet

  3. retreatnoun

    (military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position

  4. retreatnoun

    (military) a bugle call signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset

  5. hideaway, retreatnoun

    an area where you can be alone

  6. retirement, retreatnoun

    withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation

    "the religious retreat is a form of vacation activity"

  7. retreatverb

    the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)

  8. withdraw, retreat, pull away, draw back, recede, pull back, retire, move backverb

    pull back or move away or backward

    "The enemy withdrew"; "The limo pulled away from the curb"

  9. retreatverb

    move away, as for privacy

    "The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer"

  10. retrograde, retreatverb

    move back

    "The glacier retrogrades"

  11. retreat, pull back, back out, back away, crawfish, crawfish out, pull in one's horns, withdrawverb

    make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity

    "We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him"; "He backed out of his earlier promise"; "The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns"

Wiktionary

  1. retreatnoun

    The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.

  2. retreatnoun

    The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.

  3. retreatnoun

    A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy, or security.

  4. retreatnoun

    A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude.

  5. retreatnoun

    A period of meditation, prayer or study

  6. retreatnoun

    Withdrawal by military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.

  7. retreatnoun

    A signal for a military withdrawal.

  8. retreatnoun

    A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base.

  9. retreatnoun

    A military ceremony to lower the flag.

  10. retreatverb

    To withdraw military forces.

  11. retreatnoun

    Move (a piece) from threatetned position.

  12. Etymology: From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret (to draw back), from Latin retrahere (retract).

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Retreatnoun

    Etymology: retraitte, Fr.

    He built his son a house of pleasure, and spared no cost to make a delicious retreat. Roger L'Estrange.

    This place our dungeon, not our safe retreat,
    Beyond his potent arm. John Milton.

    That pleasing shade they sought, a soft retreat
    From sudden April showers, a shelter from the heat. Dry.

    There is no such way to give defence to absurd doctrines, as to guard them round with legions of obscure and undefined words; which yet make these retreats more like the dens of robbers, than the fortresses of fair warriors. John Locke.

    Honourable retreats are no ways inferior to brave charges; as having less of fortune, more of discipline, and as much of valour. Francis Bacon.

  2. To Retreatverb

    Etymology: from the noun.

    Others more mild
    Retreated in a silent valley, sing
    Their own heroick deeds. John Milton.

    The rapid currents drive
    Towards the retreating sea their furious tide. John Milton.

    My subject does not oblige me to look after the water, or point forth the place whereunto it is now retreated. John Woodward.

    Having taken her by the hand, he retreated with his eye fixed upon her. Scriblerus Club .

ChatGPT

  1. retreat

    Retreat refers to an act of moving back or withdrawing from something. It can also refer to a quiet or secluded place where one can rest and relax, or a period of seclusion for prayer, meditation, self-discovery or similar activities. In military context, retreat means withdrawal of troops from enemy forces due to their superior power or after a defeat.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Retreatnoun

    the act of retiring or withdrawing one's self, especially from what is dangerous or disagreeable

  2. Retreatnoun

    the place to which anyone retires; a place or privacy or safety; a refuge; an asylum

  3. Retreatnoun

    the retiring of an army or body of men from the face of an enemy, or from any ground occupied to a greater distance from the enemy, or from an advanced position

  4. Retreatnoun

    the withdrawing of a ship or fleet from an enemy for the purpose of avoiding an engagement or escaping after defeat

  5. Retreatnoun

    a signal given in the army or navy, by the beat of a drum or the sounding of trumpet or bugle, at sunset (when the roll is called), or for retiring from action

  6. Retreatnoun

    a special season of solitude and silence to engage in religious exercises

  7. Retreatnoun

    a period of several days of withdrawal from society to a religious house for exclusive occupation in the duties of devotion; as, to appoint or observe a retreat

  8. Retreatverb

    to make a retreat; to retire from any position or place; to withdraw; as, the defeated army retreated from the field

Wikidata

  1. Retreat

    The meaning of a spiritual retreat can be different for different religious communities. Spiritual Retreats are an integral part of many Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Sufi communities. In Hinduism and Buddhism, Meditative Retreats are seen by some as integral for reconnection to one's self. Retreats are also popular in Christian churches, and were established in today's form by St. Ignatius of Loyola, in his Spiritual Exercises. Ignatius was later to be made patron saint of spiritual retreats by Pope Pius XI in 1922. Many Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox Christians partake in and organize spiritual retreats each year. Meditative retreats are an important practice in Sufism, the mystical path of Islam. The Sufi teacher Ibn Arabi's book Journey to the Lord of Power is a guide to the inner journey that was published over 700 years ago.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Retreat

    rē-trēt′, n. a drawing back or retracing one's steps: retirement: place of privacy: withdrawal: a place of security: a shelter: (mil.) the act of retiring in order from before the enemy, or from an advanced position: the signal for retiring from an engagement or to quarters: a special season of religious meditation.—v.i. to draw back: to recede: to consider: to retire, esp. to a place of shelter: to retire before an enemy or from an advanced position: in fencing, to move back so as to avoid the point of the adversary's sword: to slope back, as a retreating forehead.—ns. Retreat′er; Retreat′ment. [O. Fr. retrete—L. retractus, pa.p. of retrahĕre.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. retreat

    The order in which a fleet or squadron declines engagement. Or the retrograde movement of any body of men who retire from a hostile force. Also, that beat of drum about sunset which orders the guards and piquets to take up their night duties.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. retreat

    The retrograde movement of any army or body of men who retire from the enemy. It signifies a more prolonged and systematic movement to the rear than retire. Full retreat is when an army retires with all expedition before a conquering enemy. The retreat is also a beat of the infantry drums, or sounding of the bugles or trumpets, which takes place every day at sunset, and at which troops fall in and the roll is called; the details for duty the following day, and orders, are published. To retreat is to make a retrograde movement. An army or body of men are said to retreat when they turn their backs upon the enemy, or are retiring from the ground they occupied; hence, every march in withdrawing from an enemy is called a retreat.

British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'retreat' in Nouns Frequency: #2883

Anagrams for retreat »

  1. treater

  2. tree rat

  3. ettarre

How to pronounce retreat?

How to say retreat in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of retreat in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of retreat in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of retreat in a Sentence

  1. Laurence Bolotin:

    We have reached out to start a dialogue with the Warrior Beach Retreat and to offer whatever assistance we can to rectify this awful situation.

  2. Seth Moulton:

    Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a Marine who served four tours in Iraq, said, “The time to debate whether we stay in Afghanistan has passed, but there is still time to debate how we manage our retreat.”

  3. Luke Trusel:

    Once the ice sheets reach these tipping points, it's thought that they'll go into a state of irreversible retreat, so they'll be responding to what we do now for centuries and milliennia into the future.

  4. Liu Bingjiang:

    We have to win the war against air pollution, no matter what happens, there is no leeway for us and we will not retreat.

  5. Douglas Davis:

    The pendulum swings can go either way. Oil may want to retreat and test its lows before it goes up again, we held on to our oil stocks for a bounce, and they are bouncing.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

retreat#1#8206#10000

Translations for retreat

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"retreat." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/retreat>.

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    close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
    A rapture
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