abdicate

American  

[ab-di-keyt] / ˈæb dɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used without object)

abdicated, abdicating

1. 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

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verb (used with object)

abdicated, abdicating

1. 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

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

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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

In 2006, when a popular uprising forced the king to abdicate, Thapa was already a prominent figure in the pro-democracy movement and had been jailed several times for his role in street protests.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Yet sometimes miracles happen, and Senates don’t entirely abdicate their constitutional advice and consent roles.

From Slate • Oct. 4, 2025

Four days into the strike, the tsar was forced to abdicate, and the provisional government granted women the right to vote.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2024

But her decision to abdicate allowed a different tone to be set.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2024

“You should know that the king will soon abdicate his throne in favor of one of his children,” Madoc says, looking at all of us.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Related Words

• forgo
• relinquish
• renounce
• step down
• vacate