verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɹəˈkænt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ænt
CMU ARPABET:R IY0 K AE1 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To withdraw or repudiate a statement or opinion formerly expressed, especially formally and publicly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
To give a new cant (slant, angle) to something, in particular railway track on a curve.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
He retracted his earlier statements about his religion
She abjured her beliefs
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: abjure, forswear, retract, resile
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: disown, renounce, repudiate
History
Etymology
First attested in 1535, from Latin recantare (“to sing back, reecho, sing again, repeat in singing, recant, recall, revoke, charm back or away”), from re- (“back”) + canto (“to chant, to sing”), frequentative of cano.
Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- English cant English recant From re- + cant.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
отричам се
(otričam se)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Bulgarian:
отмятам се
(otmjatam se)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Chinese Mandarin:
撤回
(chèhuí)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Czech:
odvolat
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Dutch:
intrekken
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Dutch:
terugtrekken
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Finnish:
vetää takaisin
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Finnish:
perua puheensa
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Finnish:
muuttaa lausuntoaan
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
French:
rétracter
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
French:
se rétracter
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
French:
retirer
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
German:
zurücknehmen
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
German:
zurückziehen
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
German:
widerrufen
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Greek:
αποκηρύσσω
(apokirýsso)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Greek:
αναιρώ
(anairó)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Greek:
παλινωδώ
(palinodó)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Icelandic:
taka aftur
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Icelandic:
draga til baka
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Māori:
whakakore
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Russian:
отрека́ться
(otrekátʹsja)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Serbo-Croatian:
opozvati
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Serbo-Croatian:
poreći
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Spanish:
retractarse
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Thai:
กลับคํา
(glàp-kam)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Thai:
คืนคํา
(kʉʉn-kam)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Thai:
ถอนคํา
(tɔ̌ɔn-kam)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
Thai:
ถอนคําพูด
(tɔ̌ɔn-kam-pûut)
— to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly
