disavow
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has disavowedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have disavowedperfect
-
am disavowingprogressive 1st person singular
-
are disavowingprogressive
-
has been disavowingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
is disavowingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been disavowingperfect progressive
-
disavowingparticiple
-
disavowssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had disavowedperfect
-
had been disavowingperfect progressive
-
disavowedparticiple
-
disavowedsimple
-
were disavowingprogressive plural
-
was disavowingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of disavow
1350–1400; Middle English disavouen, desavouen < Anglo-French, Old French desavouer. See dis- 1, avow
Explanation
To disavow is to deny support for someone or something. You might feel dissed if your biggest donor decides to suddenly disavow you in your run for president. Disavow comes from a combination of the Old French prefix des- meaning "opposite of" and the word avoer meaning to "acknowledge, accept, recognize." When you disavow, you are doing the opposite of acknowledging or accepting. You're rejecting or denying. When you disavow something you've done in the past, you reject or deny what you've done.
Vocabulary lists containing disavow
Change Your Mind
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It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 4–October 10, 2025
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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.
The studios gamely went along, ruining the lives of a number of their creative talent who refused to disavow their pasts.
From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026
As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.
From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025
The Journal reported in May that Khan invoked the investigation of Netanyahu and Gallant in communications with his accuser as he urged her to disavow her allegations against him.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025
The two seem to have accepted the theory’s ascendence and would rather apply it fairly than disavow it altogether.
From Slate • Jun. 23, 2025
While many of my comrades thought we should disavow those leaders, my inclination was to reach out to them.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
