retractions
|re-trac-tions|
🇺🇸
/rɪˈtrækʃənz/
🇬🇧
/rɪˈtrækʃ(ə)nz/
(retraction)
withdrawal
Etymology
'retraction' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'retractio' (from 'retractare' / 'retrahere'), where 're-' meant 'back' and 'trahere' meant 'to draw or pull'.
'retraction' changed from Late Latin 'retractio' into Medieval/Old French forms and Middle English (e.g. Middle English 'retractioun'), eventually becoming the modern English word 'retraction'.
Initially it meant 'the action of drawing back or pulling in', but over time it also came to mean 'the formal withdrawal of a statement or publication'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'retraction'.
The article's retractions appeared on the newspaper's corrections page.
Synonyms
Noun 2
formal withdrawals of statements, claims, or publications — public acknowledgements that a previous statement was wrong and is being retracted.
After new evidence came to light, the journal issued several retractions.
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Antonyms
Noun 3
the act or state of being drawn back or pulled in — in medical/physical contexts this can describe tissues, organs, or parts that are drawn inward.
The infant exhibited chest retractions while breathing, a sign of respiratory distress.
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Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/19 23:34