Synonyms

abdicate

American

[ab-di-keyt] / ˈæb dɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used without object)

abdicated, abdicating

to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, especially in a formal manner.

The aging founder of the firm decided to abdicate.

Synonyms:

quit , resign

verb (used with object)

abdicated, abdicating

to give up or renounce (authority, duties, an office, etc.), especially in a voluntary, public, or formal manner.

King Edward VIII of England abdicated the throne in 1936.

Synonyms:

repudiate , abandon

abdicate British

/ ˈæbdɪˌkeɪt, ˈæbdɪkəbəl, æbˈdɪkətɪv /

verb

to renounce (a throne, power, responsibility, rights, etc), esp formally

"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

abdicable adjective
abdication noun
abdicative adjective
abdicator noun
nonabdicative adjective
unabdicated adjective
unabdicating adjective
unabdicative adjective

Etymology

Origin of abdicate

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin abdicāt(us) “renounced,” past participle of abdicāre “to renounce,” from ab- ab- + dicāre “to indicate, consecrate”

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.

In the video, Juan Carlos also urged Spain to support his son Felipe VI, in whose favour he abdicated in 2014, "in this difficult task of uniting all Spaniards".

From Barron's

Those norms have eroded, and Congress has abdicated much of its authority.

From The Wall Street Journal

On the streets of Venezuela, meanwhile, some hope that the American threats and show of military force just might lead Maduro to abdicate or for others in his inner circle to unseat him from power.

From The Wall Street Journal

The tax agency largely abdicated enforcing the amendment, the newsrooms previously reported.

From Salon

Republicans would likely say Democrats are abdicating their duty as elected officials and hindering flood relief bills lawmakers are expected to consider in response to the deadly July Fourth flooding in Central Texas.

From Salon

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