withdrawal

noun

with·​draw·​al wit͟h-ˈdrȯ(-ə)l 

with-

1

a

: the act of taking back or away something that has been granted or possessed

b

: removal from a place of deposit or investment

c(1)

: the discontinuance of administration or use of a drug

(2)

: the syndrome of often painful physical and psychological symptoms that follows discontinuance of an addicting drug

a heroin addict going through withdrawal

2

a

: retreat or retirement especially into a more secluded or less exposed place or position

b

: an operation by which a military force disengages from the enemy

c(1)

: social or emotional detachment

(2)

: a pathological retreat from objective reality (as in some schizophrenic states)

3

: retraction, revocation

threatened us with withdrawal of consent

4

a

: the act of drawing someone or something back from or out of a place or position

b

: coitus interruptus

Synonyms

• pullback
• pullout
• recession
• retirement
• retreat

Examples of withdrawal in a Sentence

The general authorized the withdrawal of troops from the fields.

She made a withdrawal from her checking account.

He underwent rehab to help him through his withdrawal from heroin.

She experienced symptoms of nicotine withdrawal after she quit smoking.

Recent Examples on the Web

What distinguishes this casino site from others is that there are no minimum withdrawal requirements. —Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024

Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: False Israel announced a withdrawal of a significant number of troops, but a brigade consisting of thousands of troops remains in Gaza, according to the Israel Defense Forces and various news reports. —Brieanna J. Frank, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

Power, who was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Obama administration years and pushed for the withdrawal of the last U.N. peacekeeping mission to Haiti, admitted that the scale of violence unfolding over the last month in Port-au-Prince has been unprecedented. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024

In Gaza, Palestinians now able to return home after the withdrawal of Israeli forces are finding themselves in limbo, with their old homes damaged beyond return, their new refuge unsafe. —Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

With the withdrawal, Israel has removed most of its ground troops from Gaza. —Daniel Estrin, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024

Previous rounds of international peace conferences have been backed by Kyiv and not included Moscow, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seeks broad support for his peace formula, which calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops. —Simone McCarthy, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

The Israel Defense Forces announced a full withdrawal of ground forces from southern Gaza on Sunday, leaving a smaller force to maintain operations in the whole of the strip. —Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 7 Apr. 2024

Update: This story was revised April 1, 2024, to reflect the withdrawal of a Democratic candidate in each of the two Ada County commissioner races. —Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

withdrawal

noun

with·​draw·​al wit͟h-ˈdrȯ(-ə)l 

with-

1

: an act or instance of withdrawing

especially : a removal of money from a bank account

2

a

: the stopping of the use or giving of a drug and especially a habit-forming drug

b

: the group of often painful physical and emotional symptoms that occur when use of a habit-forming drug is stopped

Medical Definition

withdrawal

noun

with·​draw·​al -ˈdrȯ(ə-)l 

1

a

: a pathological retreat from objective reality (as in some schizophrenic states)

b

: social or emotional detachment

2

a

: the discontinuance of administration or use of a drug

b

: the syndrome of often painful physical and psychological symptoms that follows discontinuance of an addicting substance

a heroin addict going through withdrawal

3

: coitus interruptus

Legal Definition

withdrawal

noun

with·​draw·​al

1

: the act or fact of withdrawing

withdrawal from a conspiracy

2

: removal of money from a place of deposit or investment