retrieve

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɹɪˈtɹiːv/ See IPA manual

Freq #7844

Meanings

1

verb
To get something back or bring it back from where it is.

She went back to the cafe to retrieve the umbrella she had left.
2

verb
To find and bring back data or a file on a computer.

You can retrieve your saved documents from the cloud at any time.
3

verb
Of a dog: to run after and bring back something that has been thrown.

We trained the dog to retrieve the ball.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to get something back or... recoverget back

3 verb · of a dog: to run after and... fetch

Word family

Forms retrievedretrievesretrieving

Derived forms retrievabilityretrievableretrievelessretrievementretrieverunretrieved

Related forms retrieval

Etymology

Recorded in Middle English c. 1410 as retreve (altered to retrive in the 16th century; modern form is from c. 1650), from Middle French retruev-, stem of Old French retrover (“to find again”, modern retrouver), itself from re- (“again”) + trover (“to find”), probably from Vulgar Latin *tropāre (“to compose”).

*trep- Proto-Indo-European retrover Old French *tropō la-vul

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# retrieve

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɹɪˈtɹiːv/
**Frequency rank:** 7844

## Meanings
1. To get something back or bring it back from where it is.
2. To find and bring back data or a file on a computer.
3. Of a dog: to run after and bring back something that has been thrown.

## Examples
- She went back to the cafe to retrieve the umbrella she had left.
- You can retrieve your saved documents from the cloud at any time.
- We trained the dog to retrieve the ball.

## Derived Forms
- retrievability
- retrievable
- retrieveless
- retrievement
- retriever
- unretrieved

## Related Forms
- retrieval

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *trep-
- Root: retrover
- Root: *tropō

## Etymology
Recorded in Middle English c. 1410 as retreve (altered to retrive in the 16th century; modern form is from c. 1650), from Middle French retruev-, stem of Old French retrover (“to find again”, modern retrouver), itself from re- (“again”) + trover (“to find”), probably from Vulgar Latin *tropāre (“to compose”).

## AI Etymology
Retrieve recorded in Middle English c. 1410 as retreve (altered to retrive in the 16th century; modern form is from c. 1650), from Middle French retruev-, stem of Old French retrover (“to find again”, modern retrouver), itself from re- (“again”) + trover (“to find”), probably from Vulgar Latin *tropāre (“to compose”). Modern senses include to get something back or bring it back from where it is. and to find and bring back data or a file on a computer.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as retrievability, retrievable, retrieveless, retrievement, retriever, and unretrieved and related forms such as retrieval.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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