In common language it doesn't. Many people who choose to work don't need the job to survive. I know ridiculously wealthy people who just keep working the usual way. No one says those people are retired.

While retirement is cool, I think life goes better without thinking too much about it. Try to work at a job that doesn't suck ass, try to have hobbies and free time, focus on family etc, invest your savings, don't buy stupid stuff. The level of financial freedom will increase in your life just automatically if you live rationally.

In common language it might not, but in this "FIRE" context, it most certainly does. Arguing that FIRE is misguided because "why would anyone want to sit on their ass for 30 years" is a strawman.

FIRE = Financial Independence, Retire Early. What you are talking about is the FI part, retirement is a different concept and means not working. In FIRE context retirement means exactly the same as it means commonly.

>Try to work at a job that doesn't suck ass

I've been trying to do that since I entered the workforce. I still haven't found it.

Yeah we really don’t have a good word for this in English. I have trouble describing what I do. Being a parent and educating your children at home is exhausting so it doesn’t fit with the common understanding of retirement.

The word is "financial independence". It's only half for "FIRE".

"independently wealthy" is the normal word choice. Or "fuck you money" from the gambler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJjKP8vYjpQ