withdrawal

/wɪθˈdrɑəl/

/wɪðˈdrɔəl/

Other forms: withdrawals

Withdrawal is when you take something out, like making a withdrawal from your bank account.

When you announced you were no longer running for president, your withdrawal from the race disappointed your many supporters. Withdrawal is also used to describe the painful experience that results when you stop taking an addictive drug (when you "take it out" of your system). The state of being emotionally detached is called withdrawal. If a country terminates an agreement like a treaty, that's a withdrawal too. Remember that withdrawal ends in "wal" and not just "wl."

Definitions of withdrawal

1. noun

   the act of withdrawing
   “the withdrawal of French troops from Vietnam”

   types:

   effacement, self-effacement

   withdrawing into the background; making yourself inconspicuous

   retreat

   the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)

   retirement, retreat

   withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation

   evacuation

   the act of evacuating; leaving a place in an orderly fashion; especially for protection

   decampment

   breaking camp

   abandonment, defection, desertion

   withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility

   pullback

   (military) the act of pulling back (especially an orderly withdrawal of troops)

   retreat

   (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat

   receding, recession

   the act of becoming more distant

   medevac, medical evacuation, medivac

   the evacuation of persons (usually by air transportation) to a place where they can receive medical care

   abscondment, decampment

   the act of running away secretly (as to avoid arrest)

   absence without leave, unauthorized absence

   unauthorized military absence

   deviationism

   ideological defection from the party line (especially from orthodox communism)

   disengagement, fallback, pullout

   to break off a military action with an enemy

   type of:

   departure, going, going away, leaving

   the act of departing
2. noun

   the act of ceasing to participate in an activity
   type of:

   separation

   the act of dividing or disconnecting
3. noun

   a retraction of a previously held position
   synonyms: backdown, climb-down

   type of:

   abjuration, recantation, retraction

   a disavowal or taking back of a previous assertion
4. noun

   avoiding emotional involvement
   synonyms: detachment

   type of:

   indifference

   unbiased impartial unconcern
5. noun

   formal separation from an alliance or federation
   synonyms: secession

   types:

   breakaway, breaking away

   the act of breaking away or withdrawing from

   type of:

   separation

   the act of dividing or disconnecting
6. noun

   the act of taking out money or other capital
   types:

   bank withdrawal

   the withdrawal of money from your account at a bank

   disinvestment

   the withdrawal of capital from a country or corporation

   bank run

   the concerted action of depositors who try to withdraw their money from a bank because they think it will fail

   type of:

   remotion, removal

   the act of removing
7. noun

   the act of withdrawing blood, tumors, etc.
   “the nurse was expert at the withdrawal of blood”

   type of:

   remotion, removal

   the act of removing
8. noun

   a method of birth control in which coitus is initiated but the penis is deliberately withdrawn before ejaculation
   synonyms: coitus interruptus, onanism, pulling out, withdrawal method

   type of:

   birth control, birth prevention, family planning

   limiting the number of children born
9. noun

   the termination of drug taking
   synonyms: drug withdrawal

   types:

   cold turkey

   complete and abrupt withdrawal of all addictive drugs or anything else on which you have become dependent

   type of:

   conclusion, ending, termination

   the act of ending something