Synonyms

disown

American

[dis-ohn] / dɪsˈoʊn /

verb (used with object)

to refuse to acknowledge as belonging or pertaining to oneself; deny the ownership of or responsibility for; repudiate; renounce.

to disown one's heirs; to disown a published statement.

Synonyms:

abjure, reject, disavow, disclaim

disown British

/ dɪsˈəʊn /

verb

(tr) to deny any connection with; refuse to acknowledge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

disowner noun
disownment noun

Etymology

Origin of disown

First recorded in 1610–20; dis- ¹ + own

Explanation

To disown someone is to reject them. If you disown your brother, you refuse to have anything to do with him: not only do you not speak or have contact, but it's as if he's no longer related to you. When one person disowns another, it's because of some terrible argument or deep-rooted conflict. Although it's uncommon to disown another person, when it happens it's usually a family member who's cast off. Your mom might threaten to disown you after you drive her car into the mailbox, but she's probably not serious. Disown takes the root word own, meaning "to have or to hold," and adds the Latin prefix dis, "not" or "do the opposite of."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"We disown his actions and we disown what he has done in every single way."

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

“My family would disown me,” he told the network in an email.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 29, 2023

In a time where I thought that my whole family would disown me, they didn’t.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2023

In California, complaints have driven administrators at the Encinitas Union School District to disown a Disney villain-themed drag show occurring Saturday as part of a queer youth “Boo Bash.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 27, 2022

“Would you disown me, your honest and true Ophelia?”

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023