retirée

Retirée is a feminine form in French that functions as both an adjective and, in some contexts, a noun. As an adjective, retirée describes someone who has withdrawn from activity or public life, or who leads a quiet, secluded life. For example, une personne retirée du monde means a person withdrawn from society.

As a noun, the standard term for a person who has stopped working is retraiée in the feminine form: une retraitée (the masculine equivalent is un retraité). The noun form retired person is more commonly used in contemporary French than the adjectival form retirée used as a noun. The past participle form retirée is more typically encountered as an adjective describing character or state rather than as a standalone noun.

Etymology and related terms: retirée derives from the verb retirer, meaning to withdraw or pull back, itself from the prefix re- plus tirer (to pull). The noun for retirement is retraite, while the gendered occupational terms are retraié/retraitée. The adjective retirée conveys the sense of withdrawal or seclusion, whereas retraite/retraité designate the broader concept of retirement as a life phase or status.

See also: retirement (retraite), retraité, retraitée, retiré (withdrawn or retired in certain contexts). In usage, contexte and nuance determine whether to employ retirée as an adjective or to prefer the noun retraitée for a female retiree.