recant

Vocabulary Word

Definition

When you 'recant', you formally withdraw, deny, or reverse your previous statement or belief. It's like pressing the undo button on something you've said or believed.

Examples in Different Contexts

In religious history, 'recanting' has played a role in cases of heresy. A historian might detail, 'Under pressure, Galileo recanted his view that Earth orbits the sun, a theory opposed by the Church.'

Practice Scenarios

Public-Policy

Scenario:

This report documents rapid temperature increases over the last decade. How does this influence our climate policy?

Response:

Considering the alarming rate of temperature increases, it may be necessary to recant any skepticism and address this issue urgently.

Academics

Scenario:

The latest experimental results have challenged our original thesis. How might we adjust our theory?

Response:

The new evidence does contradict our theory. It might be time to recant our initial hypothesis and formulate a new one.