'retractably' originates from the Latin word 'retractabilis', where 're-' meant 'back' and 'tractare' meant 'to draw'.

'retractabilis' transformed into the French word 'rétractable', and eventually became the modern English word 'retractable', with 'retractably' as its adverbial form.

Initially, it meant 'capable of being drawn back', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.