disavow
Americanverb (used with object)
-
disavows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disavowed,
past participle, past
-
disavowing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disavowsimple
-
disavowssimple
-
have disavowedperfect
-
has disavowedperfect
-
am disavowingprogressive
-
are disavowingprogressive
-
is disavowingprogressive
-
have been disavowingperfect progressive
-
has been disavowingperfect progressive
Past
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disavowedsimple
-
had disavowedperfect
-
was disavowingprogressive
-
were disavowingprogressive
-
had been disavowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disavow
1350–1400; Middle English disavouen, desavouen < Anglo-French, Old French desavouer. See dis- 1, avow
Explanation
To disavow is to deny support for someone or something. You might feel dissed if your biggest donor decides to suddenly disavow you in your run for president. Disavow comes from a combination of the Old French prefix des- meaning "opposite of" and the word avoer meaning to "acknowledge, accept, recognize." When you disavow, you are doing the opposite of acknowledging or accepting. You're rejecting or denying. When you disavow something you've done in the past, you reject or deny what you've done.
Vocabulary lists containing disavow
Change Your Mind
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It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 4–October 10, 2025
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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.
See Examples For:
Every day I wake up, I’m like, “I disavow myself.”
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
McClain Delaney said that her decision to disavow the vote came after receiving thousands of messages from constituents raising concerns about the administration’s immigration policies and also asking for help from their local representative.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
Despite the heat, El-Sayed refused to disavow Piker.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
Campaigning alongside Mr. Piker this month, Dr. El-Sayed said, “I’m not here to disavow people’s views.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
All the architects, including Sullivan, seemed to have been captured by the same spell, although Sullivan later would disavow the moment.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
The Peltola campaign said she isn’t concerned with who else is on the ballot and disavows any involvement in Dan J.’s campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Lyrically, Charli disavows cigarettes and writes sincere apologies for her past mistakes.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
But Jones disavows involvement and contends that a former subordinate, Jennifer Abel, and others close to Baldoni cooked up the plan as part of a broader “conspiracy,” which also included starting a rival publicity firm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2024
Church Militant now disavows claims in the article, which depicted him harshly.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
She must not trade in what she disavows.
From Mr. Britling Sees It Through by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
The development group publicly disavowed the actions, attributing them to an unnamed security contractor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
She has been disavowed by lawmakers across the Democratic spectrum, from Blue Dog centrist Rep. Josh Gottheimer to democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
From Slate ● May 22, 2026
In 2013 the LDS "disavowed" those teachings, and now believes "everyone is an equal child of God regardless of race".
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
In both cases the comments were immediately disavowed by the White House.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2025
He disavowed nothing: he seemed as if he would defy all things.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Nothing here binds a future administration, and courts almost never stop the government from disavowing promises its officials had no authority to make.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
One imagines irritated Michigan Wolverines burning checkbooks and disavowing money-market accounts as they drink their spritzes at Ann Arbor tailgates—but inside Columbus, this is like getting to sponsor religion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
She resists the idea of entirely disavowing the life she led with her ex-husband.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
Wallace won his fourth term as governor in 1982 after disavowing segregation and winning over enough Black voters.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
“Oh, no,” we said, disavowing her entirely, as any sensible person would.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
