retrieve

IPA/rɪˈtriːv/
KK[rɪtrˈiv]IPA/rɪˈtriːv/

retrieve — noun

1. the process of going to a place where something was stored or lost, taking hold

1.nounB2
Definition

the process of going to a place where something was stored or lost, taking hold of it, and bringing it back to where it is needed

Example

The retrieval of the sunken ship took the diving team over six months.

Digital retrieval of old emails is much faster than searching through paper files.

collocation: data retrieval / digital retrieval

Common collocations
  • data retrieval
  • document retrieval
  • information retrieval
  • retrieval system
  • retrieval process
  • quick retrieval
  • successful retrieval
Synonyms
  • recovery

    emphasis on getting back something lost or stolen; broader than retrieval, which implies fetching from a known location

  • reclamation

    more formal and technical, often used for land or materials rather than data or objects

Antonyms
  • loss

    the state of no longer having something

Grammar Patterns

the retrieval of [noun]

Usage Note

Often used in computing and technical contexts ('data retrieval', 'document retrieval'), but also common in physical search contexts. The singular form is standard; the plural 'retrievals' is rare and used only in sport or technical logging.

2. in tennis, badminton, and similar racket games, the act of reaching and returnin

2.nounC1
Definition

in tennis, badminton, and similar racket games, the act of reaching and returning a ball or shuttlecock that was very hard to get to

Example

Her retrieval of the smash at match point drew gasps from the crowd.

The player's one-handed retrieval of the cross-court shot kept the rally alive.

collocation: make a retrieval / a brilliant retrieval

Common collocations
  • incredible retrieval
  • brilliant retrieval
  • desperate retrieval
  • one-handed retrieval
  • match-point retrieval
Synonyms
  • return

    general term for hitting the ball back; less dramatic than retrieval, which implies difficulty

Grammar Patterns

make a retrieval

an incredible retrieval

Usage Note

Countable; typically appears in sports commentary or match descriptions. Often preceded by an adjective ('brilliant retrieval', 'amazing retrieval', 'desperate retrieval').

retrieve — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe bringing something to where it is needed, but they differ in formality and context. 'Fetch' is the most casual and often implies a short trip to get something for someone ('Go fetch my glasses'). 'Get back' is also informal and focuses on the result — having possession again ('I need to get my keys back from the front desk'). 'Recover' suggests retrieving something that was definitively lost or taken, often with greater effort ('The police recovered the stolen laptop'). 'Retrieve' sits between the everyday and the formal: it is the natural word for computer data ('retrieve a file') and for trained animal behaviour ('the dog retrieved the duck'), but it can also carry a slightly technical or official tone in other contexts. For computer use, 'retrieve' is the only natural choice among the four.

fetch ↗recover ↗get back ↗retrieve ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Retrieve comes from the Old French word 'retrover', which meant 'to find again'. The French broke it into 're-' (meaning 'again') and 'trover' (meaning 'to find' or 'to compose'). That Latin root 'tropare' is also the source of the words 'troubadour' (a poet who composed songs) and 'contrive' (to plan cleverly). English speakers began using 'retrieve' around the 1400s, first for physically finding and bringing things back, and later for recalling information and recovering situations.