Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To make a formal retraction or disavowal of (a statement or belief to which one has previously committed oneself).
- v. To make a formal retraction or disavowal of a previously held statement or belief.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- 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.
Wiktionary
- v. To withdraw from or repudiate a statement or opinion formerly expressed, especially formally and publicly.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly (opinions formerly expressed); to contradict, as a former declaration; to take back openly; to retract; to recall.
- v. To revoke a declaration or proposition; to unsay what has been said; to retract.
WordNet 3.0
- v. formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
Etymologies
- Latin recantāre : re-, re- + cantāre, to sing, frequentative of canere; see kan- in Indo-European roots.
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.”
“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
“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.”
“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...
“If so, WHAT was it that the Vatican demanded that he "recant"?”
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with...
“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
“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.”
“is "recant" like decant? but after you've spent all that time letting it air right n all, whacking it back in the decanter, for later use. doesnt it just get more sour?”
“recant' was given by the Party Central Committee and delivered by Liu Shaoqi.”
WILD SWANS THREE DAUGHTERS OF CHINA
“In the early hours of Wednesday, November 8, the networks declared Bush the winner of Florida and the presidency, only to recant that a short time later and conclude that the outcome in Florida, and thus of the national election, was too close to call.”
Simon & Schuster: The Conservative Assault on the Constitution
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘recant’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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Talk Talk
Words for Talking
squawk, gab, chatter, chitchat, blab, prattle, blather, discuss, hector, plead, cajole, harangue and 189 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 1074 more...
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Yazhinni Spelling bee
tongue, stallion, scruple, salinity, schedule, rouge, populist, Permian, perspire, pasteurize, multitude, mournful and 227 more...
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[Open] Frequentative
“A verb which denotes the frequent occurrence or repetition of an action, as . . . waggle from wag.” — Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia.
Other examples include bobble (bob), bustle (b...dartle, stutter, agitate, dabble, waggle, aid, argue, daunt, expect, excite, espouse, dictate and 77 more...
Prolagus 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) Mar 18, 2008