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

The media will be happy to tell you all about the retractions, but they ... —Erin Hawley, National Review, 15 Mar. 2024

Kensington Palace declined to offer comment regarding the retraction. —Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 11 Mar. 2024

Cohen’s representation is requesting a swift retraction and apology from McSweeney. —Meredith Woerner, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024

His comments are sometimes met by a study’s author dodging the questions raised, and sometimes result in a correction or retraction. —Andrew Joseph, STAT, 27 Jan. 2024

But as pandemic restrictions eased in the years that followed and broader macroeconomic uncertainty set in, the tech industry saw its greatest retraction since the dotcom bust of 2000, cutting tens of thousands of jobs in rapid succession. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024

This year, three scientific journals ran retractions identifying methodological errors in studies from Dr. Rutherford’s laboratory. —Ellen Barry, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2023

Ordinarily, retractions like these would not be newsworthy outside of the scholastic community, but in this case, some media outlets jumped at the chance to cover them. —Erin Hawley, National Review, 15 Mar. 2024

Which is why the retraction of the article is more than an act of cowardice and a betrayal of a writer whose work the magazine shepherded to publication. —Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 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

—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