noun
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a person who deserts his or her cause or faith for another; apostate; traitor
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( as modifier )
a renegade priest
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any outlaw or rebel
Etymology
Origin of renegade
First recorded in 1575–85; from Spanish renegado, from Medieval Latin renegātus, noun use of past participle of renegāre “to desert”; see renege
Explanation
A renegade is a person who has deserted their cause or defied convention; they're rebels and sometimes outlaws, or even traitors. A long, long time ago, a renegade was a Christian person who decided to become Muslim. That definition is pretty outdated, as these days a renegade is anyone who breaks laws or expectations to do their own thing or join the other side. It might sound kind of cool to be a renegade, like some rogue action hero. But in general, renegade actions are frowned, not smiled, upon.
Vocabulary lists containing renegade
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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.
Renegade, the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, drew the race’s worst starting position on Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
“They could have been apple-shaped before, and now it’s like their entire midsection is dramatically smaller than it ever was before,” said Harris, the owner of Renegade Bridal & Dye Lab in Houston.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026
Renegade Nell star Bo Bragason, 21, has been cast as Princess Zelda, while Pinocchio's Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, 16, will play the role of Link.
From BBC • Jul. 16, 2025
Guest: Adam Kinzinger, former Republican Congressman for Illinois’s 11th and 16th districts who served on the January 6th select committee, and author of Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country.
From Slate • Mar. 27, 2025
In spite of it all, he is not welcomed among them as a brother, but goes by the name of "The Renegade."
From In the Tail of the Peacock by Savory, Isabel
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.
