The kanji 却 generally conveys the meaning of "to reject," "to decline," "to dismiss," or "rather." It implies a turning away from something, a reversal, or a contrary action. It often suggests a removal, cancellation, or negation.

・On-yomi (音読み): キャク (kyaku) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): しりぞ（く） (shirizo(ku) - to retreat, to withdraw, to reject)

⚫︎ 却下（きゃっか） Translation: Rejection, dismissal (of a proposal, etc.) ⚫︎ 却って（かえって） Translation: On the contrary, rather, instead ⚫︎ 退却（たいきゃく） Translation: Retreat, withdrawal

The kanji 却 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is "卩," which is a simplified version of 節, and it signifies the control or a section. The right side is 去 (to go away, to leave). Together, they suggest a removal or a going away, and thus the meaning of "to reject" or "to dismiss."