abnegate

[ ab-ni-geyt ]
See synonyms for: abnegateabnegation on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),ab·ne·gat·ed, ab·ne·gat·ing.
  1. to refuse or deny oneself (some rights, conveniences, etc.); reject; renounce.

  2. to relinquish; give up.

Origin of abnegate

1
1650–60; <Latin abnegātus denied (past participle of abnegāre). See ab-, negate

Other words from abnegate

  • ab·ne·ga·tion, noun
  • ab·ne·ga·tor, noun
  • un·ab·ne·gat·ed, adjective
  • un·ab·ne·gat·ing, adjective

Words Nearby abnegate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use abnegate in a sentence

  • She spurns the doctrine that it is woman's position to abnegate and to immolate herself.

    The Salamander | Owen Johnson
  • The quality of Mantchou has thus by degrees become a very costly affair, and many, of consequence, seek altogether to abnegate it.

  • In those days the strong made no pretence to protect the weak, or to abnegate their natural power.

    Hodge and His Masters | Richard Jefferies
  • In the vanity typical of the insecure, they abnegate all foreign knowledge.

    After the Rain | Sam Vaknin
  • The most God-like man is the one who can abnegate without feeling the sacrifice.

    Where Art Begins | Hume Nisbet

British Dictionary definitions for abnegate

abnegate

/ (ˈæbnɪˌɡeɪt) /


verb
  1. (tr) to deny to oneself; renounce (privileges, pleasure, etc)

Origin of abnegate

1
C17: from Latin abnegāre to deny

Derived forms of abnegate

  • abnegation, noun
  • abnegator, noun

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