withdrawal
Americannoun
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Also withdrawment. the act or condition of withdrawing.
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Pharmacology. the act or process of ceasing to use an addictive drug.
noun
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an act or process of withdrawing; retreat, removal, or detachment
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the period a drug addict goes through following abrupt termination in the use of narcotics, usually characterized by physical and mental symptoms ( withdrawal symptoms )
Etymology
Origin of withdrawal
Explanation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing withdrawal
"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr.
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The attacks and withdrawal of funding have had a widespread impact on nonprofits and the people they serve.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
People who know they have reduced hearing might move more cautiously, and social withdrawal caused by hearing loss can also affect walking speed, doctors say.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
“The deduction you’d be getting is not as powerful as the tax-free withdrawal at retirement that the Roth would provide.”
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
In a statement the CBA said its positions has "remained consistent" during the withdrawal of services and the action was taken as "a regrettable last resort".
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Ella used to love watching her family’s money tree being brought out from their vault and trimmed when her mama or papa made a withdrawal.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
