withdrawal

[ with-draw-uhl, -drawl, with- ]
See synonyms for withdrawal on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Also with·draw·ment. the act or condition of withdrawing.

  2. Pharmacology. the act or process of ceasing to use an addictive drug.

Origin of withdrawal

1
First recorded in 1740–50; withdraw + -al2

Words Nearby withdrawal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use withdrawal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for withdrawal

withdrawal

/ (wɪðˈdrɔːəl) /


noun
  1. an act or process of withdrawing; retreat, removal, or detachment

  2. the period a drug addict goes through following abrupt termination in the use of narcotics, usually characterized by physical and mental symptoms (withdrawal symptoms)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for withdrawal

withdrawal

[ wĭð-drôəl, wĭth- ]


  1. Discontinuation of the use of an addictive substance. The symptoms of withdrawal include headache, diarrhea, and tremors and can range from mild to life threatening, depending on the extent of the body's reliance on the addictive substance.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.