Retirement is the period of life after work when one stops full-time employment, often accompanied by planned leisure, travel, or volunteering. It denotes a formal withdrawal from a job or career, typically at a certain age or after meeting pension or savings criteria. The term can also imply the act or process of withdrawing from an active professional role.
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"She shifted into retirement last year and now volunteers at the community center."
"The company offered a generous retirement package to long-time employees."
"He plans to travel in retirement and spend more time with family."
"Retirement funds were carefully invested to sustain him for decades."
Retirement comes from the French retraite, derived from late Latin recessus, meaning a going back or retreat. The English term entered around the 14th century with senses tied to retreat or withdrawal, evolving to include leaving one’s job. Over time, retirement specifically framed the cessation of paid employment, especially after a long career, and the concept broadened to financial planning and social activity during non-working years. The modern sense emphasizes the transition from a working life to post-employment activities, while sometimes carrying connotations of leisure and aging. First known use in English can be traced to late Middle English contexts referencing withdrawal or retreat, later aligning with pension systems and the social construct of retirement ages as workplaces formalized retirement policies. The word’s Latin root recessus suggests a physical retreat or mind’s respite, which dovetails with society’s view of retirement as a deliberate break from daily labor and a shift in identity from worker to retiree.
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Words that rhyme with "retirement"
-ent sounds
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It’s pronounced re-TIRE-ment, with primary stress on the second syllable: /rɪˈtaɪər.mənt/ (US) or /rɪˈtaɪə.mənt/ (UK). Start with a clear ‘reh’ to kick off, then a strong diphthong in the second syllable (/'tire' as in retire), and finish with a crisp ‘ment.’ Visualize breaking it into three beats: re- TIRE - ment. For careful listening, compare it to the verb ‘retire’ + ‘-ment’ suffix. IPA notes: US: rɪˈtaɪərmənt, UK: rɪˈtaɪəmənt. Audio guide: search for “retirement pronunciation” and listen to multiple speakers to internalize the rhythm.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the stress on the first syllable (re-TIRE-ment). 2) Slurring the second syllable so it sounds like /taɪr/ instead of /taɪər/ or /taɪə/. 3) Ending with a muffled or voiced-less ‘t’ making /-mənt/ unclear. Correction: emphasize the second syllable with a clear /ɪə/ or /aɪə/ vowel before the final /mənt/, and articulate the final /t/ crisply in careful speech. Practice by isolating the three segments: re-, TIRE-, -ment; then blend them with breath support to maintain the stress pattern.
US: rɪˈtaɪərmənt with rhotic /r/ and a relatively strong /ə/ or /ər/ in the second syllable. UK: rɪˈtaɪəmənt with a shorter /ə/ and often less rhotic influence depending on the speaker; sometimes the second syllable sounds closer to /təɪ/ in fast speech. AU: rɪˈtaɪəmənt with similar vowel reduction as UK, but with Australian vowel shifts that may affect the /ɪə/ or /ə/ vowels; the final /nt/ remains crisp but can be reduced in rapid speech. Overall, rhotics and vowel quality in the second syllable vary by region, affecting the perceived vowel length and quality.
The difficulty lies in the three-syllable rhythm with stress on the second syllable and the /taɪ/ diphthong followed by a tense /ə/ or schwa in the second syllable. The transition from /ɪ/ or /iː/ to /ə/ can be tricky in rapid speech, and the final /mənt/ requires precise timing to avoid a rushed or slurred ending. Lax or reduced vowels in casual speech can blur the distinction between /taɪər/ and /taɪə/; attention to mouth positions and deliberate articulation helps. IPA cues: focus on the diphthong in the stressed syllable and a clear /m/ and final /nt/.
A distinctive feature is the strong secondary relationship between the second syllable’s diphthong and the following /ə/ or /ə/ plus /nt/. You’ll hear a tight glide from /aɪ/ to /ə/ depending on the speaker, and maintaining that glide helps keep the rhythm accurate. Also, the final consonant cluster /nt/ often remains unreleased in quick speech; careful articulation makes it audible in careful speech.
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