Legal Definitions - withdraw

Definition: To take back or retract something that was presented, granted, enjoyed, possessed, or allowed. It can also mean to refrain from prosecuting or proceeding with an action, to terminate representation of a client, to remove a juror, to leave or retire from a community or society, or for a condition or immaterial thing to vanish or depart.

• He decided to withdraw his application for the job.
• She withdrew her objection to the proposal.
• The plaintiff decided to withdraw the lawsuit.
• The lawyer had to withdraw from representing the client due to a conflict of interest.
• The judge had to withdraw a biased juror from the trial.
• After years of living in the city, he decided to withdraw to the countryside.
• The symptoms of the illness gradually withdrew over time.

These examples illustrate the different ways in which the term "withdraw" can be used. In each case, something is being taken back, retracted, or removed. Whether it's an application, an objection, a lawsuit, representation, a juror, or oneself from a community, the act of withdrawing involves a conscious decision to no longer be involved or associated with something or someone. The final example shows how a condition or immaterial thing, such as an illness, can also withdraw or disappear over time.