Retractar is a verb.
/rɛˈtɾaktar/
Retractar means to withdraw a statement, claim, or belief. It is commonly used in legal contexts, such as retracting a confession or a statement made previously. The verb is also used in general discourse when someone takes back something they said or wrote, indicating a change of mind or acknowledgment of a mistake.
Frequency of Use:
The use of retractar is moderately frequent in both oral and written contexts, though it may appear more often in formal discussions, especially in legal documents or official statements.
El acusado decidió retractarse de su declaración original.
The defendant decided to retract his original statement.
Después de la controversia, el político se vio obligado a retractarse de sus comentarios.
After the controversy, the politician was forced to retract his comments.
La empresa tuvo que retractarse de su anuncio debido a la publicidad engañosa.
The company had to retract its advertisement due to misleading information.
Though retractar itself is not commonly part of set idiomatic expressions, its concept can be linked to phrases that convey withdrawal or changing one’s word. Here are some related expressions:
Decidí echarme atrás en el proyecto después de considerar las críticas.
I decided to retract my participation in the project after considering the criticisms.
dar marcha atrás
La compañía dio marcha atrás en su decisión de despedir a empleados.
The company retracted its decision to lay off employees.
tomar de vuelta
No puedo tomar de vuelta lo que dije, pero me retracto de mi tono.
I can’t take back what I said, but I retract my tone.
retroceder
The term retractar comes from the Latin retractare, which means "to draw back" or "to take back." The prefix "re-" indicates repetition or backward motion, while "tractare" derives from "tractus," meaning to pull or draw.
Synonyms:
- Desdecir (to unsay)
- Revocar (to revoke)
- Retirar (to withdraw)
Antonyms:
- Afirmar (to affirm)
- Confirmar (to confirm)
- Reiterar (to reiterate)