retinue
/ˈɹɛ.tɪ.n(j)uː/noun
retinue is spelled R-E-T-I-N-U-E: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,363rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, retinue means “A group of attendants or servants, especially of someone considered important” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of retinue is retinues.
How many letters and syllables are in retinue?
| Letters | 7: R-E-T-I-N-U-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 45,363rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is retinue?
Retinue appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,363rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce retinue?
- UK /ˈɹɛ.tɪ.njuː/
- US /ˈɹɛ.tɪ.n(j)uː/
- /ɹɪˈtɪnjuː/
Retinue has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-retinue.ogg, En-us-retinue-2.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with retinue?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as retinue (/ɛtɪnu/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: reunite, uterine, neurite.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of retinue
- retinues plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does retinue mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A group of attendants or servants, especially of someone considered important.
the queen’s retinues
- 2
A group of warriors or nobles accompanying a king or other leader; comitatus.
Then Igor looked up at the bright sun and saw all his warriors / darkened from it by a shadow. / And Igor said to his retinue: / “Brothers and companions! It is better to be slain than taken captive. / Mount, brothers, your swift horses tha
- 3
obsoleteA service relationship.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Retinue in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does retinue come from?
From Middle English retenue, from Old French retenue, past participle of retenir (“retain”). Doublet of ritenuto.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).