retrieve

1 of 2

verb

re·​trieve ri-ˈtrēv How to pronounce retrieve (audio)
retrieved; retrieving

transitive verb

1
: to locate and bring in (killed or wounded game)
2
: to call to mind again
3
: to get back again : regain
4
b
: to return (something, such as a ball or shuttlecock that is difficult to reach) successfully
5
: restore, revive
his writing retrieves the past
6
: to remedy the evil consequences of : correct
7
: to get and bring back
especially : to recover from storage
retrieve information

intransitive verb

: to bring in game
a dog that retrieves well
also : to bring back an object thrown by a person
retrievability noun
retrievable adjective

retrieve

2 of 2

noun

1
2
: the successful return of a ball that is difficult to reach or control (as in tennis)

Examples of retrieve in a Sentence

Verb Many archaeological relics were retrieved from the site. Police retrieved his stolen car. You can quickly retrieve data. The files were retrieved from the computer. He was able to retrieve the document. The dog is learning how to retrieve. The dog has been trained to retrieve birds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The rotor of the helicopter from last week's deadly crash has been retrieved from the Hudson River, four days after the devastating accident that killed all six people on board, according to a statement from the National Transportation Safety Board. Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025 The Titanic’s owner, the White Star Line, chartered the Mackay-Bennett, a steamer normally used for repairing trans-Atlantic telegraph cables, to retrieve as many bodies as possible. Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
The letters were then placed into the office mailbox—a secure and routinely used location where both the attaché and the Assemblymember retrieve materials each evening. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Best Cotton Gauze Robe Boll & Branch Dream Robe $149 Boll & Branch Material Sizes Available Commerce writer Julia Harrison says that she has been known to eat, sleep, cook, snack, retrieve mail, do laundry, and entertain house guests in this full length beauty. Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for retrieve

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English retreven, from Anglo-French retrueve-, present stem of retrover to find again, from re- + trover to compose, invent, find, from Vulgar Latin *tropare — more at troubadour

First Known Use

Verb

1814, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of retrieve was in 1658

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Retrieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrieve. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

retrieve

verb
re·​trieve
ri-ˈtrēv
retrieved; retrieving
1
: to find and bring in killed or wounded game
teach a dog how to retrieve
2
: to recover or make good a loss or damage
retrieved artifacts from the shipwreck
3
: to get and bring back
especially : to recover (as information) from storage
retrievable
-ˈtrē-və-bəl
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on retrieve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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