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withdrawn

v. · adj.
US //wɪðˈdɹɔn// UK //wɪðdɹˈɔːn// with·drawn
  1. 1 removed or taken back (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the past participle of 'withdraw', used when something has been taken away or removed.

    the past participle of 'withdraw'. Used in perfect tenses and passive constructions to indicate removal, retraction, or departure.

    Example

    The company has withdrawn the product from stores because of a safety problem.

    Example

    By the time the peace treaty was signed, the occupying forces had already withdrawn to the original border positions established decades earlier.

  2. 2 quiet and unsocial (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Psychology

    very quiet and not wanting to talk to or be with other people.

    socially detached, introverted, or emotionally unresponsive. Often used in a clinical or psychological context to describe a change in personality.

    Example

    After the accident, the boy became very withdrawn and stopped playing with his friends.

    Example

    The patient appeared increasingly withdrawn during the clinical observation, showing a marked reluctance to engage in even basic verbal communication with the nursing staff.

    Usage

    Usually follows a linking verb like 'become' or 'seem'.

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  1. 3 no longer available (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    taken out of use or no longer available to the public.

    removed from circulation, competition, or public availability.

    Example

    The candidate is now a withdrawn participant in the election.

    Example

    The controversial book was withdrawn from the library shelves following a series of formal complaints from the local community.

Word family

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