What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Retire vs Release - What's the difference?

retire | release |

As verbs the difference between retire and release

is that retire is while release is to let go (of); to cease to hold or contain or release can be to lease again; to grant a new lease of; to let back.

As a noun release is

the event of setting (someone or something) free (eg hostages, slaves, prisoners, caged animals, hooked or stuck mechanisms).

retire

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (rare) The act of retiring, or the state of being retired; also, a place to which one retires.
  • (dated) A call sounded on a bugle, announcing to skirmishers that they are to retire, or fall back.
    • At the retire , the cavalry fell back.

    Verb

  • To withdraw; to take away; -- sometimes used reflexively.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • He retired himself, his wife, and children into a forest.
  • * Sir J. Davies
    • As when the sun is present all the year, / And never doth retire his golden ray.
  • To withdraw from circulation, or from the market; to take up and pay; as, to retire bonds; to retire a note.
    • The central bank retired those notes five years ago.
  • To cause to retire; specifically, to designate as no longer qualified for active service; to place on the retired list; as, to retire a military or naval officer.
    • The board retired the old major.
  • (transitive, cricket, of a batsman) to voluntarily stop batting before being dismissed so that the next batsman can bat
    • Jones retired in favour of Smith.
  • (transitive, baseball, of a fielder), to make a defensive play which results in a runner or the batter being put out
    • Jones retired Smith 6-3.
  • To go back or return; to draw back or away; to keep aloof; to withdraw or retreat, as from observation; to go into privacy; as, to retire to his home; to retire from the world, or from notice.
    • I will retire to the study.''
  • To retreat from action or danger; to withdraw for safety or pleasure; as, to retire from battle.
    • The regiment retired from the fray after the Major was killed.
  • To withdraw from a public station, from working, or from business
    • Having made a large fortune, he retired .
    He wants to retire at 55.
  • To recede; to fall or bend back; as, the shore of the sea retires in bays and gulfs.
    • Past the point, the shore retires into a sequence of coves.
  • To go to bed; as, he usually retires early.
    • I will retire for the night.

    Derived terms

    * (l) * (l) * (l) * (cricket) (l)

    Related terms

    * (l)

    Anagrams

    * ----

    release

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) relaisser (variant of relascher).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The event of setting (someone or something) free (e.g. hostages, slaves, prisoners, caged animals, hooked or stuck mechanisms).
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Charles T. Ambrose
    • , title= Alzheimer’s Disease , volume=101, issue=3, page=200, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.}}
  • (software) The distribution of an initial or new and upgraded version of a computer software product; the distribution can be both public or private.
  • Anything recently released or made available (as for sale).
  • That which is released, untied or let go.
    • Derived terms
    * prerelease * release notes * release from requirement * software release * release process

    Verb

    (releas)
  • To let go (of); to cease to hold or contain.
  • To make available to the public.
  • To free or liberate; to set free.
  • To discharge.
  • (telephone) (of a call) To hang up.
  • (legal) To let go, as a legal claim; to discharge or relinquish a right to, as lands or tenements, by conveying to another who has some right or estate in possession, as when the person in remainder releases his right to the tenant in possession; to quit.
  • To loosen; to relax; to remove the obligation of.
    • to release an ordinance
    (Hooker)
  • (soccer) To set up; to provide with a goal-scoring opportunity
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 13, author=Sam Lyon, work=BBC
    • , title= Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Arsenal , passage=With the Gunners far too lightweight in midfield, Mikel Arteta dropped back into a deeper-lying role. This freed Yossi Benayoun to go further forward, a move that helped forge a rare Arsenal chance on 30 minutes when the Israeli released Van Persie, only for the Dutchman's snap-shot to be tipped around the post.}}
    Antonyms
    * hold

    Etymology 2

    Verb

    (releas)
  • To lease again; to grant a new lease of; to let back.