Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

withdrawal

American  
[with-draw-uhl, -drawl, with-] / wɪðˈdrɔ əl, -ˈdrɔl, wɪθ- /

noun

  1. Also withdrawment. the act or condition of withdrawing.

  2. Pharmacology. the act or process of ceasing to use an addictive drug.

  3. coitus interruptus.

withdrawal British  
/ wɪðˈdrɔːəl /

noun

  1. an act or process of withdrawing; retreat, removal, or detachment

  2. the period a drug addict goes through following abrupt termination in the use of narcotics, usually characterized by physical and mental symptoms ( withdrawal symptoms )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
withdrawal Scientific  
/ wĭth-drô′əl,wĭth- /

  1. Discontinuation of the use of an addictive substance. The symptoms of withdrawal include headache, diarrhea, and tremors and can range from mild to life threatening, depending on the extent of the body's reliance on the addictive substance.

Etymology

Origin of withdrawal

First recorded in 1740–50; withdraw + -al 2

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.

Assuming your $1.3 million is fully invested in stocks, a 4% initial withdrawal would let you take $54,000 in the first year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

“Pakistan was wandering in the geopolitical wilderness after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Elizabeth Threlkeld, a Pakistan expert at the Stimson Center, says in a phone interview.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

You would not face the 10% early withdrawal penalty, even if the money would still be taxed as ordinary income.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Blue Owl Capital shares tumble on a significant increase in investor withdrawal requests from its funds.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

In December, the Allies began an orderly withdrawal, leaving Turkey still in control of the Dardanelles and still in the war.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

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.