[with.draw.al] n (1749) 1 a: the act of taking back or away something that has been granted or possessed b: removal from a place of deposit or investment c (1): the discontinuance of administration or use of a drug (2): a period following the discontinuance of an addicting drug that is marked by often painful physical and psychological symptoms "a heroin addict going through ~"
2. a: retreat or retirement esp. into a more secluded or less exposed place or position b: an operation by which a military force disengages from the enemy c (1): social or emotional detachment (2): a pathological retreat from objective reality (as in some schizophrenic states)
3: retraction, revocation "threatened us with ~ of consent"
4. a: the act of drawing someone or something back from or out of a place or position b: coitus interruptus