YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

recant

Verb

IPA /rɪˈkænt/

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Meaning in plain English

To say publicly that you no longer hold a belief or opinion you previously expressed, withdrawing your earlier position.

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Pronunciation

recant/rɪˈkænt/

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You publicly make a claim
New evidence changes your view
You publicly withdraw the earlier claim

To recant is to take back a previously expressed belief or statement.

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Examples in context

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He recanted his earlier claim after seeing the original photograph.
The researcher refused to recant her conclusions without new evidence.

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The researcher refused to ________ her conclusions without new evidence.

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recant — To say publicly that you no longer hold a belief or opinion you previously expressed, withdrawing your earlier position.

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To say publicly that you no longer hold a belief or opinion you previously expressed, withdrawing your earlier position.

Compare: He recanted his earlier claim after seeing the original photograph.

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Word origin

From Latin recantare, combining elements meaning back or reversal and sing.

Did you know?

Recant can be used with an object, such as a statement, or alone when the earlier position is clear.

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