The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Recantation \Re`can*ta"tion\ (r[=e]`k[a^]n*t[=a]"sh[u^]n), n.
   The act of recanting; a declaration that contradicts a former
   one; that which is thus asserted in contradiction;
   retraction.
   [1913 Webster]

         The poor man was imprisoned for this discovery, and
         forced to make a public recantation.     --Bp.
                                                  Stillingfleet.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

recantation
    n 1: a disavowal or taking back of a previous assertion [syn:
         retraction, abjuration, recantation]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

134 Moby Thesaurus words for "recantation":
   abandonment, abjuration, abjurement, abnegation, abolishment,
   abolition, abrogation, absolute contradiction, annulment, cancel,
   canceling, cancellation, cassation, cession, chucking,
   chucking out, contempt, contradiction, contrary assertion,
   contravention, controversion, countering, countermand,
   counterorder, crossing, declension, declination, declinature,
   declining, defeasance, denial, deprivation, despisal, despising,
   disaffirmation, disagreement, disallowance, disapproval, disavowal,
   discard, disclaimer, disclamation, discounting, dismissal,
   disobedience, disowning, disownment, dispensation, disposal,
   disposition, disproof, disregard, dissent, dumping, exception,
   exclusion, expatriation, forgoing, forswearing, gainsaying,
   getting rid of, giving up, holding back, ignoring, impugnment,
   invalidation, letting go, nay, negation, negative, negative answer,
   nix, no, nonacceptance, nonapproval, noncompliance, nonconsent,
   nonconsideration, nonobservance, nullification, palinode, palinody,
   passing by, putting away, putting out, rebuff, recall, refusal,
   refutation, rejection, release, relinquishment, renege, reneging,
   renouncement, renunciation, repeal, repudiation, repulse,
   rescinding, rescindment, rescission, resignation, retention,
   retractation, retraction, reversal, revocation, revoke, revokement,
   riddance, sacrifice, scouting, setting aside, spurning, surrender,
   suspension, swearing off, throwing out, thumbs-down, turndown,
   turning out, unsaying, unwillingness, vacation, vacatur, voidance,
   voiding, waiver, waiving, withdrawal, withholding, write-off,
   yielding