retrain

verb

re·​train (ˌ)rē-ˈtrān How to pronounce retrain (audio)
retrained; retraining; retrains
Synonyms of retrainnext

transitive verb

: to train again or anew

intransitive verb

: to become trained again
retrainable
(ˌ)rē-ˈtrā-nə-bəl How to pronounce retrain (audio)
adjective

Examples of retrain in a Sentence

The organization retrains people who have lost their jobs. He is retraining for another job. He retrained as a mechanic.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Accenture and Google Cloud, meanwhile, are building a 1,000-person FDE workforce, relying partly on retraining experienced software engineers for customer-facing AI deployment work. — Barbara Booth, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 Asked how to square those four shifts, with more CEOs planning cuts and more also retraining, redesign roles and hire for AI, Walsh said to read the numbers loosely. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 The mayor and the Council are ready to help with retraining and real jobs that carry a living wage and benefits. — Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026 Compared to mice with no training history, mice who retrained grew bigger muscles, and the individual muscle fibers inside those muscles grew too. — Diego Hernandez-Saavedra, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for retrain

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of retrain was in 1856

Rhymes for retrain

See All Rhymes for retrain

Browse Nearby Words

retraict
retrain
retral
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Retrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrain. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

retrain

verb
re·​train rē-ˈtrān How to pronounce retrain (audio)
1
: to train again or anew
2
: to become retrained
retrainable
-ˈtrā-nə-bəl How to pronounce retrain (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on retrain

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for retrain

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All