retraction

[ri-trak-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of retracting retract or the state of being retracted. retract.

2. withdrawal of a promise, statement, opinion, etc..

   His retraction of the libel came too late.

3. retractile power.

Other Word Forms

• nonretraction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of retraction¹

1350–1400; Middle English retraccioun < Latin retractiōn- (stem of retractiō ), equivalent to Latin retract ( us ) ( retract ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

Related Words

• annulment 
• denial 
• disavowal 
• disclaimer 
• repudiation 
• reversal 

When To Use

What is a retraction?

Retraction is the withdrawal of a statement or promise, such as in a news story. When a news outlet gets facts wrong in a story, they publish a retraction that states what facts were wrong and what the correct facts are.In general, retraction is the act of pulling something back, such as the retraction of a payment (taking the payment back).Example: If this turns out to be true, we’ll have to issue a retraction about last week’s issue.