Withdrawal

Definition

"Withdrawal" primarily refers to the act or process of taking something out or back. In a medical context, it can also denote the group of symptoms that occur upon the abrupt discontinuation or decrease in the intake of medications or recreational drugs.

Parts of Speech

• Noun

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /wɪðˈdrɔːl/
• Respelling: with-DRAWL

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /wɪðˈdrɔːl/
• Respelling: with-DRAWL

In both American and British English, "withdrawal" is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable. It features the "with" sound at the beginning, followed by a stressed "drawl" that sounds like "draw" with an "l" at the end. The pronunciation is essentially the same in both versions of English.

Etymology

The term "withdrawal" is derived from the verb "withdraw", which comes from the Old English combination of "with-" meaning "away" and "drawan" meaning "to draw". The suffix "-al" is added to indicate the action or process related to withdrawing.

Derivatives

• Withdraw
• Withdrawn
• Withdrawable
• Withdrawer
• Withdrawing

Synonyms

• Removal
• Retraction
• Departure

Antonyms

• Deposit
• Introduction
• Arrival

Usage

The term "withdrawal" is frequently used in both everyday language and specific contexts, such as banking and medicine. It might refer to the action of removing funds from a bank account, the process of retracting a previous statement, or the symptoms experienced when discontinuing a drug or substance.

Related Terms

• Retreat
• Exit
• Abstention
• Abstinence
• Recession

Detailed Definition

Noun

• The act of taking something out, or removing something.‍
• Example: He made a withdrawal of $500 from his bank account.

• The process of ceasing to participate or be involved in something; a retreat or departure.‍
• Example: After the scandal, he announced his withdrawal from the race.

• The group of symptoms that arise from suddenly stopping the use of an addictive substance.‍
• Example: After quitting smoking, she experienced severe withdrawal symptoms like irritability and anxiety.

• A method of ending a debate or terminating a motion in parliamentary procedure.‍
• Example: The senator made a motion for the withdrawal of the proposed bill.

• The act of retracting or recalling a statement or offer.‍
• Example: The company made a withdrawal of its initial advertisement due to negative feedback.