retraction
Americannoun
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the act of retracting or the state of being retracted.
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withdrawal of a promise, statement, opinion, etc..
His retraction of the libel came too late.
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retractile power.
noun
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the act of retracting or state of being retracted
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the withdrawal of a statement, charge, etc
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of retraction
1350–1400; Middle English retraccioun < Latin retractiōn- (stem of retractiō ), equivalent to Latin retract ( us ) ( see retract 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
When you change your mind and take back something you said previously, that's a retraction. If a politician says something offensive, he'll sometimes issue a formal retraction later. When someone needs to withdraw an opinion or backpedal on something they've said (especially publicly), they send out a retraction. A newspaper editor might publish a retraction after a badly reported story is printed, and astronomers who discover a new star might announce a retraction after realizing it was just a smudge on the lens of their telescope. The Latin root is retractionem, "a drawing back."
Vocabulary lists containing retraction
Power Prefix: re-
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Journalism
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Hamilton
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Instead, its partial retraction is "rescued" by the rapid pace of early embryonic cell cycles.
From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026
Almost immediately after Takaichi's remarks, Beijing responded with a flurry of condemnation and demanded a retraction.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Barron’s has reached out to AppLovin for comment about Capitalwatch’s retraction.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
Following fan backlash, Roan posted a retraction to her Instagram.
From Salon • Dec. 29, 2025
I slam my hand on the ramp’s retraction button—nothing.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
