Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To make a formal retraction or disavowal of (a statement or belief to which one has previously committed oneself).
- intransitive verb To make a formal retraction or disavowal of a previously held statement or belief.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To sing over again; utter repeatedly in song.
- To unsay; contradict or withdraw formally (something which one had previously asserted); renounce; disavow; retract: as, to
recant one's opinion or profession of faith. - Synonyms Abjure, Forswear, etc. See
renounce . - To revoke a declaration or proposition; unsay what has been said; renounce or disavow an opinion or a dogma formerly maintained; especially, to announce formally one's abandonment of a religious belief.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To revoke a declaration or proposition; to unsay what has been said; to retract.
- transitive verb To withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly (opinions formerly expressed); to contradict, as a former declaration; to take back openly; to retract; to recall.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive, intransitive To
withdraw from orrepudiate a statement or opinion formerly expressed, especially formally and publicly.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word recant.
Examples
-
Anyone with any knowledge of DV knows how often victims recant, which is why there are laws allowing police to prosecute them even in the absence of cooperation from the victim.
Boyfriend Gets Life Sentence Under “Fetal Protection” Law 2005
-
That girl, whose latest breath ascended in this sublime expression of self-oblivion, did not utter the word recant either with her lips or in her heart.
The Best of the World's Classics, Vol. V (of X) - Great Britain and Ireland III Various 1885
-
With the recent 'recant' of the first accuser and the acquittal of the charges brought against Michael Jackson in 2005, peace will never be still.
Rep. King on Jackson: 'There's nothing good about this guy' 2009
-
So, tell me then ... what was the statement that the Vatican demanded that Galileo "recant"?
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2009
-
If so, WHAT was it that the Vatican demanded that he "recant"?
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2009
-
But with this issue, the bishop must "recant," i.e. not just renounce his views but seek human and divine forgiveness.
Vatican says bishop's apology is not enough | RELIGION Blog | dallasnews.com 2009
-
The Mustache Institute - a tongue-in-check group dedicated to defending a man's right to sport a mustache against modern aversions - is demanding Snarr "recant" his shaving pledge and find another way to support the Children's Miracle Network.
-
The Mustache Institute - a tongue-in-check group dedicated to defending a man's right to sport a mustache against modern aversions - is demanding Snarr "recant" his shaving pledge and find another way to support the Children's Miracle Network.
-
The Mustache Institute - a tongue-in-check group dedicated to defending a man's right to sport a mustache against modern aversions - is demanding Snarr "recant" his shaving pledge and find another way to support the Children's Miracle Network.
Home 2009
-
The Mustache Institute - a tongue-in-check group dedicated to defending a man's right to sport a mustache against modern aversions - is demanding Snarr "recant" his shaving pledge and find another way to support the Children's Miracle Network.
Home By PAUL FOY 2009
Prolagus commented on the word recant
I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.
(Martin Luther)
March 18, 2008