disown
verb (used with object)
to refuse to acknowledge as belonging or pertaining to oneself; deny the ownership of or responsibility for; repudiate; renounce.
disowned
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past participleof disown.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof disown.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
disownverb (used with object)to refuse to acknowledge as belonging or pertaining to oneself; deny the ownership of or responsibility for; repudiate; renounce.
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.
About 10 years ago, when he first wanted to go public with the truth, his mother disowned him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
Her family tried to persuade her to come back, but when nothing came of it they disowned her, according to SK SOS.
From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025
In her memoir, Erivo writes at length about her estrangement from her father, who disowned her when she was 16 after an argument in a London train station.
From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2025
But uncertainty surrounds the royal succession, with no public announcement of an heir to the current king -- among his seven children, four have been officially disowned.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025
Despite their quarrels, there was a deep bond between her father and the brother he had once disowned.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
