Retractions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An action taken to officially withdraw or nullify a prior statement or claim, often to amend or clarify misinformation
2. The process of retracting is used to correct inaccuracies in communication or documentation that may have caused confusion
3. Acts of formally pulling back or canceling a previously made assertion to address errors or misunderstandings

Etymology: "Retractions" is simply the plural of "retraction," which means the formal withdrawal of something previously said or written. The noun is built from the Latin prefix "re-" (back, again) and "traction," from the Latin verb "trahere," meaning to draw or pull. Its sense of drawing something back comes from that physical root, so a retraction is literally a pulling back of a statement. The English noun "retract" is related and goes back the same way: "retract" carries the idea of drawing back a claim or a part, and "retraction" is the noun built on it with the suffix "-ion," which turns a verb into a name for the act.

Synonyms: withdrawals, rescissions, reversals, cancellations, repeals

Antonyms: confirmations, affirmations, endorsments, assertions, approvals