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

Whether the study results would apply elsewhere is uncertain but in Tennessee, most children born with withdrawal symptoms are enrolled in that state's Medicaid program. — Fox News, "Mom's prenatal opioids may stunt kids' learning, study finds," 30 Aug. 2018 The right asset allocation depends on your income needs and risk tolerance, among other factors, but many financial planners recommend having a few years’ worth of withdrawals in safer investments to mitigate the urge to sell when stocks fall. — Liz Weston, The Seattle Times, "How to reset retirement plans to weather a downturn," 20 Aug. 2018 Another common withdrawal symptom is relapse itself. — The Economist, "Welsh prisons are much harsher than England’s on opioid treatment," 12 July 2018 The daunting nature of best-of-five matches, which the men play at Grand Slam events, probably has been a factor in the greater number of withdrawals from the men’s side of recent major tournaments. — Ben Rothenberg, New York Times, "Andy Murray Pulls Out of Wimbledon," 1 July 2018 But newborns exposed to legally prescribed opioids still can suffer withdrawal symptoms. — Marie Mccullough, Philly.com, "Pa. law aims to protect newborns of moms in opioid addiction," 29 June 2018 Like, 39 percent of total freshwater withdrawals in the United States are earmarked for power plants. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "Wanna Pull Water Out of Air? Grab Some Ions or a Weird Sponge," 8 June 2018 Investigators said photos from one of those withdrawals at Bank of America show Lawal withdrawing the money. — Ben Brasch, ajc, "Feds: Cobb man duped school districts into giving up employee tax info," 21 May 2018 The pill was approved to treat adults for up to two weeks for common withdrawal symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and agitation. — CBS News, "Nonopioid drug approved by FDA for opioid withdrawal symptons," 16 May 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

5 Jun 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