retraction

noun

re·​trac·​tion ri-ˈtrak-shən 

1

: an act of recanting

specifically : a statement made by one retracting

His charges were false, and he was forced to make/issue a retraction.

2

: an act of retracting : the state of being retracted

retraction of the plane's landing gear

3

: the ability to retract

Examples of retraction in a Sentence

His charges were false, and he was forced to make a retraction.

the retraction of the plane's landing gear

Recent Examples on the Web

The misleading comments and images posted by Vance, Jenrick, Farage, and Weidel nevertheless remain online, with no correction or retraction. — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026

The couple called for an investigation and a retraction of the paper, telling Science they were concerned the paper could give other parents false hope. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

The ad hoc committee was responsible for reviewing and recommending the retraction of more than 1,700 problematic conference articles last year. — IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026

Hearing that a single lab test did not confirm the presence of the parasite might be confusing—but one data point, like a negative test or a retraction, does not automatically mean public health investigators have it wrong. — Lisa Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for retraction

• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• distraction
• exaction
• extraction
• impaction
• inaction
• infraction

Kids Definition

retraction

noun

re·​trac·​tion ri-ˈtrak-shən 

1

: a statement taking back something previously said

2

: an act of retracting : the state of being retracted

3

: the ability to retract

Medical Definition

retraction

noun

re·​trac·​tion ri-ˈtrak-shən 

: an act or instance of retracting

specifically : backward or inward movement of an organ or part

retraction of the nipple or skin overlying the tumor

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

Legal Definition

retraction

noun

re·​trac·​tion ri-ˈtrak-shən 

: an act of taking back or withdrawing

retraction of a confession

her retraction of the defamatory statement