Which is preferable: retirer or retiree? (The Oxford dictionary doesn't list the latter at all.)?

Answer 1

retiree

Answer 2

Since employer means the person who gives someone a job and the person who takes the job is the employee, that would seem to indicate that the retirer is a person who tells an employee, it's time they retired and the retiree is the person who retires. However, the OED says that a retirer is one who retires - which just shows how complicated the English language is. - And you thought Chinese was difficult.

Answer 3

Depends on the context. If you are describing the actual process, then the person retiring is the 'retirer'. If you are describing the status of someone who has retired, then they are a 'retiree'.
Examples: 'It was John Smith's final day at work, and a presentation was made to the retirer'. 'Bob Thorpe came to live in Suffolk, two years after giving up work. He finds life as a retiree less stressful than in his job as a nailgun tester.'

Answer 4

I have a 2004 OED in front of me and retiree is listed.

Answer 5

retiree - the person who retiered, and retirer was used in 16th century from franch word that meant like withdraw to place of safety or seclusion.

Answer 6

That's because there is no such word as retiree

Answer 7

retiree - it sounds better