retinue

[ ret-n-oo, -yoo ]

noun

1. a body of retainers in attendance upon an important personage; suite.

retinue

/ ˈrɛtɪˌnjuː /

noun

1. a body of aides and retainers attending an important person, royalty, etc

Derived Forms

• ˈretiˌnued, adjective

Other Words From

• reti·nued adjective
• un·reti·nued adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of retinue¹

1325–75; Middle English retinue < Middle French, noun use of feminine past participle of retenir to retain

Word History and Origins

Origin of retinue¹

C14: from Old French retenue , from retenir to retain

Example Sentences

Given this Germanic cultural affination for direct combat, we can certainly theorize how the comitatus and household retinues of the chieftains and warlords flaunted their high-quality weapons and armor.

From Realm of History

By 1315 AD, the numbers of Mamluks in Egypt rose exponentially to 24,000 men – but more than half of them came from the retinues of the amirs.

From Realm of History

Such claims, as well as the seething tone with which Putin delivered them, have come in the past from the most infamous paranoiac in his retinue, the security chief Nikolai Patrushev.

From Time

And so, the horned god became Satan—and others in his demonic retinue.

From The Daily Beast

Shaving: the most boring, tedious thing a man must do in his little retinue of personal upkeep chores.

From The Daily Beast

First charged with “piracy,” each member of the retinue now faces seven years in jail if found guilty of “hooliganism.”

From The Daily Beast

And then his retinue of friends and spiritual advisors arrived, and he floated away on a cloud of "insiderdom" and "privilege."

From The Daily Beast

There is a usually a retinue of “reliable” Mohalells in each pious community.

From The Daily Beast

When the Begum and the moulvie departed for Lucknow they were accompanied by nearly the whole of their retinue.

From Project Gutenberg

Well, her father established Peggy in a big house in St. James's—huge retinue of servants and so forth.

From Project Gutenberg

Gazing toward the Distance, the Wazir saw the Princess and her retinue nearing their destination.

From Project Gutenberg

The past has come down to us cloaked and shrouded, and attended by its decorous retinue of mutes and bearers.

From Project Gutenberg

His guardsmen trotted alongside while the rest of his retinue mounted and followed as best they could.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• entourage