Words / R / Law

retract

verb/rɪˈtrækt/

B2CEFR level
45/100Rarity: uncommon
TechnicalRegister

To formally withdraw a statement, allegation, or admission.

Under cross-examination she retracted her earlier claim to have seen him at the door.

Similar: withdraw, disavow, recant

Topic: Evidence & procedure in Legal English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More law words: Evidence & procedure