What does retracted mean?
Retracted means withdrawn, cancelled, or formally disowned. Its most common use concerns statements, claims, allegations, or promises: a retracted report has been withdrawn, usually after an error or criticism has made continued support for it impossible. The word can also describe something physically drawn back, such as a retractable mechanism or an animal's claws, and it may indicate that something has been shortened or narrowed in scope. Retracted carries a more final and public tone than simply incorrect. A report may be described as erroneous without being retracted, whereas a retraction normally represents an explicit act of withdrawal. In journalism, legal proceedings, and official announcements, the term signals that the original statement or claim has been formally abandoned or disowned. It is consequently useful for describing both the practical consequences of changing one's position and the finality of withdrawing public support for an earlier assertion.
Withdrawn, cancelled, or disowned; also drawn back or made shorter.
"The minister described the earlier accusation as retracted."
The withdrawal or cancellation sense is especially common in journalism, law, and formal announcements.
Past tense and past participle of retract: to withdraw, cancel, or draw back.
"The witness retracted the statement after further questioning."
The same form can also function as an adjective: a retracted statement.
A retracted statement is not merely corrected: it is officially withdrawn or disowned.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does retracted come from?
Retracted was formed in the early 17th century from the Latin verb trahere, 'to draw,' together with the prefix re-, indicating drawing back, and the suffix -tractus. English also developed the verb retract from this Latin foundation. Related English words include traction, tractor, extract, and contract, all of which reflect different senses of drawing or pulling.
Related word forms
How retracted is actually used
The expression is especially common in formal and journalistic contexts. When describing a statement or claim, it implies that the source has withdrawn it, though it does not necessarily prove that the underlying claim was false.
Easily confused with retracted
A retracted statement is withdrawn or declared false, whereas a redacted passage is obscured or removed, often for legal, privacy, or security reasons.
Retracted means withdrawn or cancelled, while protracted means extended in duration.