withdrawal

n. departure, retreat; drawing out funds (as from a bank account); revoking, retraction; resignation, retirement; pulling out; cessation of an addictive habit (e.g. use of narcotics)

For other meanings, see Withdrawal (disambiguation). Withdrawal, also known as withdrawal syndrome, refers to the characteristic signs and symptoms that appear when a drug that causes physical dependence is regularly used for a long time and then suddenly discontinued or decreased in dosage. The term can also, less formally, refer to symptoms that appear after discontinuing a drug or other substance (unable to cause true physical dependence) that one has become psychologically dependent upon.
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(n.)
The act of withdrawing; withdrawment; retreat; retraction.
  

Any international application, designation, priority claim, demand, or election may be withdrawn by a notice to the International Bureau, the receiving Office, or, where applicable, to the International Preliminary Examining Authority.
  

to effect a withdrawal, the applicant may at any stage of the procedure do one or more of the following: not pay fees in due time (Article 90(3) EPC) not file a request for examination within the given time period (Article 94(3) EPC) not reply in due time to any invitation within the examination procedure (Article 96(3) EPC). A patent application can be withdrawn at any stage except where a third party proves to the Office that he has initiated proceedings concerning entitlement and then until such time as the Office resumes the proceedings for grant (Rule 14 EPC).