decided to retire

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "decided to retire" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when someone has made a choice to stop working, typically after a long career. Example: "After many years of dedicated service, she finally decided to retire and enjoy her time traveling."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Wikipedia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He decided to retire.

The New Yorker

Barb decided to retire early.

The New Yorker

Another decided to retire.

The New York Times

Kinsela decided to retire.

The Guardian - Sport

She decided to retire to the country.

The New Yorker

In fact, Gordon decided to retire.

The New Yorker

He subsequently decided to retire.

The New York Times - Magazine

Some have decided to retire.

The New York Times

"But I decided to retire.

The Guardian - Sport

Mathias Jr., a Republican, decided to retire.

The New York Times

O'Donoghue had enough and decided to retire.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Specify why someone "decided to retire" to provide richer context. Was it due to health, family, or new opportunities?

Common error

Avoid using "decided to retire" when someone is forced to leave their job due to termination or layoff. "Retire" implies a voluntary choice, so "was forced to resign" or "was terminated" would be more accurate in such cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "decided to retire" functions as a verb phrase indicating a completed action and a decision-making process. It signifies the subject's choice to end their career or position, as shown in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Sport

19%

Wiki

12%

Less common in

Science

4%

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "decided to retire" is a common and grammatically sound way to express someone's choice to end their career, as affirmed by Ludwig. Its neutral register makes it versatile across various contexts, especially news and media. Related phrases include "chose to retire" and "elected to retire", offering similar meanings with subtle differences. When using this phrase, be mindful of the context and ensure it accurately reflects a voluntary decision. Ludwig confirms its wide usage and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

chose to retire

Replaces "decided" with "chose", implying a deliberate selection.

elected to retire

Substitutes "decided" with "elected", suggesting a formal or considered choice.

opted to retire

Replaces "decided" with "opted", indicating a preference or selection among alternatives.

made the decision to retire

Adds emphasis to the act of making a decision.

came to the decision to retire

Highlights the process of arriving at the decision.

resolved to retire

Indicates a firm and determined decision.

determined to retire

Emphasizes the firmness of the decision to retire.

planned to retire

Suggests the decision was made in advance as part of a larger strategy.

was retiring

Uses continuous tense to express a planned future action.

relinquished their position

Focuses on giving up a position, rather than the act of retiring.

FAQs

How can I use "decided to retire" in a sentence?

You can use "decided to retire" to indicate someone's choice to stop working. For example, "After 30 years of teaching, she "decided to retire" and travel the world."

What's a more formal way to say "decided to retire"?

A more formal alternative could be "elected to retire". For example, "After careful consideration, the CEO "elected to retire"."

What can I say instead of "decided to retire" to emphasize the reason?

You could say "chose to retire due to" followed by the reason. For instance, "He "chose to retire" due to health concerns."

Is it correct to use "decided to retire" when someone is very young?

While grammatically correct, it's more common to use "decided to leave the profession" or "decided to pursue other opportunities" if someone is young. "Retire" often implies a long career.