retraction

noun

re·​trac·​tion ri-ˈtrak-shən 

1

: an act of recanting

specifically : a statement made by one retracting

2

: an act of retracting : the state of being retracted

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

His apparent retraction of an important claim in the report -- that Israel had a policy of intentionally targeting civilians -- set off a firestorm of speculation about his motives and the legitimacy of his original report. —Charli Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 9 May 2011

But with the journal Psychopharmacology’s retraction of three papers related to this work, Lykos has a difficult road ahead of it. —Benjamin Y. Fong, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2024

The White House sought retraction, but the publication never followed up on it. —Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 28 July 2024

However, the company reported that the retraction of the threads lowered his bits-per-second (BPS) rate, which is used to measure how quickly and accurately a patient with an implant can control a computer cursor. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 9 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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