Withdrawals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of removing funds from a bank or financial account ; a retreat or pulling back from a location or engagement ; stopping involvement or leaving a group, activity, or agreement
2. Taking out money held in an account ; the action of moving away or withdrawing from a place or conflict ; ending participation or quitting an arrangement
3. The removal of cash or assets from an account ; disengaging or pulling back from a situation or role ; the process of ceasing to be involved in an activity or connection

Etymology: The word is the plural of "withdrawal", so it describes more than one act of taking something back. "Withdrawal" is formed from "withdraw" plus the suffix "-al", which English attached to verbs to form nouns naming the act or process. "Withdraw" itself traces back to Old English roots meaning "against" and "draw", so the sense is literally to draw back or away from a position. The suffix "-al" came into English through Middle English from Latin "-alis", passing through Old French, where it had taken the form "-el" before settling into "-al". When "withdrawals" refers to money, it names the sums drawn out of an account, and each withdrawal is a single transaction, which explains why the plural is used for a series of them. The financial sense grows directly from the older physical one: pulling something back from where it was held.

Synonyms: removals, retractions, recessions, deductions, depletions

Antonyms: deposits, additions, inclusions, contributions