Retiring

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Pronunciation: /ɹəˈtaɪ(ə)ɹɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Exhibiting a preference for seclusion, it may also refer to the act of leaving a job or position, and often implies introspection rather than sociability
2. Indicating a disposition towards quietness or withdrawal, the term can mean resigning from employment while also reflecting a desire for solitude
3. Showing a tendency to avoid social interaction and preferring solitude ; the action of stepping down from a role or ceasing employment

Etymology: The surprising twist here is that "retiring" started as a word about pulling back physically. "Retire" comes from Middle French "retirer", meaning "draw back", built from "re-" ("back") and "tirer" ("draw, pull"). The "tirer" element is traced to a Vulgar Latin form, "tīrāre", whose ultimate origin is highly uncertain. So the core image is of drawing something back out of the way. The word then moved from literal withdrawal toward a retreat from public or military action. English "retire" carries that sense of withdrawing from the field, and from there it extended to leaving a position or ceasing work. The solitary sense, a personality that shrinks from company, grew out of the same idea of withdrawing oneself from view. The present participle "retiring" thus inherits all these senses, which is why one form can describe a shy person and a worker leaving a job.

Synonyms: withdrawn, shy, reserved, reclusive, aloof

Antonyms: outgoing, social, extroverted, gregarious, friendly