English Reference
verb · adjective

withdrawn

v. · adj.
US /wɪðˈdɹɔn/ UK /wɪðdɹˈɔːn/ with·drawn

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

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

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

    Simple

    The company has withdrawn the product from stores because of a safety problem.

    In context

    By the time the peace treaty was signed, the occupying forces had already withdrawn to the original border positions established decades earlier.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Formal Psychology

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

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

    Simple

    After the accident, the boy became very withdrawn and stopped playing with his friends.

    In context

    The patient appeared increasingly withdrawn during the clinical observation, showing a marked reluctance to engage in even basic verbal communication with the nursing staff.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

    outgoingsociableextroverted
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

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

    adj.removed from circulation, competition, or public availability.

    Simple

    The candidate is now a withdrawn participant in the election.

    In context

    The controversial book was withdrawn from the library shelves following a series of formal complaints from the local community.

Both services said the messages did not include patients' names, while NWAS said pagers had now been fully withdrawn and for NIAS largely withdrawn.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

That proposal – which would have privatised part of the World Cup – was withdrawn by Infantino after an immediate backlash, but the reversal has failed to insulate Fifa’s leadership from growing anger.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated