abjure
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to renounce, repudiate, or retract, especially with formal solemnity; recant.
to abjure one's errors.
-
to renounce or give up under oath; forswear.
to abjure allegiance.
-
to avoid or shun.
verb
-
to renounce or retract, esp formally, solemnly, or under oath
-
to abstain from or reject
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of abjure
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin abjūrāre to deny on oath, equivalent to ab- ab- + jūrāre to swear; see jury 1
Explanation
Abjure means to swear off, and it applies to something you once believed. You can abjure a religious faith, you can abjure your love of another person, and you can abjure the practice of using excessive force in interrogation. Abjure is a more dramatic way to declare your rejection of something you once felt or believed. When you see its Latin roots, it makes sense: from ab- (meaning "away") and jurare ("to swear"). When you abjure something, you swear it away and dissociate yourself with it. You might abjure the field of astrology after receiving a bad fortune, or you might abjure marriage after a bitter divorce.
Vocabulary lists containing abjure
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
By 1907, when Sargent was 51, he’d had enough: “No more paughtraits,” he wrote in a now-famous note, “I abhor and abjure them and hope never to do another especially of the Upper Classe.”
From Washington Post • Mar. 5, 2020
People who are otherwise deemed sceptical abjure their reason and believe in miracles.
From The Guardian • Apr. 10, 2019
Johnson managed to abjure his past and, on the march toward an exceptionally successful career, leave it behind.
From The New Yorker • Dec. 12, 2018
Press notes indicate some serial business ahead, putting extra pressure on Astral's decision whether to remain mortal and forever abjure the company of fairies, or to get back to where she once belonged.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2016
If within that time he failed to make peace with his adversaries, he had to abjure the realm.
From Old Church Lore by Andrews, William
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.
