Synonyms

disavow

American

[dis-uh-vou] / ˌdɪs əˈvaʊ /

verb (used with object)

to disclaim knowledge of, connection with, or responsibility for; disown; repudiate.

He disavowed the remark that had been attributed to him.

Synonyms:

disclaim, reject, deny

disavow British

/ ˌdɪsəˈvaʊ /

verb

(tr) to deny knowledge of, connection with, or responsibility for

"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

Other Word Forms

disavowal noun
disavowedly adverb
disavower noun

Etymology

Origin of disavow

1350–1400; Middle English disavouen, desavouen < Anglo-French, Old French desavouer. See dis- ¹, avow

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.

Mr. Steiner was put in the awkward position of disavowing his own private journal’s description of events.

From The Wall Street Journal

She resists the idea of entirely disavowing the life she led with her ex-husband.

From BBC

Even as his clout has grown, though, Rogan has sought to disavow his authority.

From The Wall Street Journal

He later defended his comments and said that he had been using hyperbole to make a point, adding that he disavowed racists and that media reports had ignored the context of his comments.

From BBC

The studios gamely went along, ruining the lives of a number of their creative talent who refused to disavow their pasts.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023