withdrawal

noun

with·draw·al | \ wit͟h-ˈdrȯ(-ə)l,

with-\

Definition of withdrawal

1a : 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

2a : 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

4a : the act of drawing someone or something back from or out of a place or position

b : coitus interruptus

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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

This withdrawal echoes louder in the Middle East than Mr. Pompeo’s words. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Pompeo’s Words, Trump’s Withdrawal," 11 Jan. 2019 There is no clearer example of this than the misconceptions surrounding buprenorphine and methadone, which stave off withdrawal and cravings to stabilize a person’s drug use. — German Lopez, Vox, "The simple idea that could help end America’s opioid epidemic," 26 Dec. 2018 The hospital wanted to hold her daughter five days to monitor for withdrawal. — Samantha Melamed, Philly.com, "Inside the Philly courtroom where you're not allowed to speak," 21 May 2018 The leaders are expected to agree to meet again in mid-November to sign Britain's withdrawal agreement, hopefully leaving enough time for parliaments to endorse the deal. — Fox News, "EU leaders to tackle Brexit, migration failures at summit," 18 Sep. 2018 Britain’s withdrawal agreement, which is supposed to be signed in October or soon afterwards, need cover only the principles of the future trade and migration relationship. — The Economist, "The EU digests Britain’s new Brexit plan," 11 July 2018 When leaders met at the European Council in December to assess progress on negotiations toward a withdrawal agreement, tensions quickly became apparent. — Amanda Sloat, Time, "Brexit Could Jeopardize Peace in Northern Ireland—and America Is Ignoring It," 29 June 2018 Trump’s call for a troop withdrawal bucks the advice of his top national security team. — Andrew O'reilly, Fox News, "White House: US mission in Syria coming to 'rapid end'," 2 Oct. 2018 That winter, my mother checked into a psychiatric hospital in Connecticut to negotiate her withdrawal from Seconal, a barbiturate she’d been prescribed as a sleeping pill. — Fernanda Eberstadt, Vogue, "Wild, Free, and Utterly Lost—Writer Fernanda Eberstadt on the Panic and Pitfalls of Post-Collegiate Life," 30 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'withdrawal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near withdrawal

Statistics for withdrawal

Last Updated

16 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for withdrawal

The first known use of withdrawal was in 1749

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More Definitions for withdrawal

withdrawal

noun

English Language Learners Definition of withdrawal

: an act of moving something away or taking something away

: an act of ending your involvement in something

: the act of taking money out of a bank account

See the full definition for withdrawal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

withdrawal

noun

with·draw·al | \ wit͟h-ˈdrȯ-əl,

with-\

Kids Definition of withdrawal

: an act or instance of withdrawing

withdrawal

noun

with·draw·al | \ -ˈdrȯ(ə-)l

Medical Definition of withdrawal

1a : a pathological retreat from objective reality (as in some schizophrenic states)

b : social or emotional detachment

2a : 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