disavow
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disavowsimple
-
disavowssimple
-
have disavowedperfect
-
has disavowedperfect
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am disavowingprogressive
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are disavowingprogressive
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is disavowingprogressive
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have been disavowingperfect progressive
-
has been disavowingperfect progressive
Past
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disavowedsimple
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had disavowedperfect
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was disavowingprogressive
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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:
But in private communications with the alleged victim, he invoked the investigation in an effort to persuade her to disavow the allegations, the Journal has reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025
The two seem to have accepted the theory’s ascendence and would rather apply it fairly than disavow it altogether.
From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2025
Nobody's asked her to disavow "Hot N Cold," just to have made more sensitive choices about her current "love frequency"-driven incarnation.
From Salon ● May 16, 2025
While I agreed, I could not accept that we should therefore disavow studying.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Church Militant now disavows claims in the article, which depicted him harshly.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
To be clear, Radan disavows any support for slavery or for any moral argument defending it, arguing for a sharp distinction between those questions and the legal, constitutional argument he advances.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2023
He also disavows the notion that he is associated with the militia, repeatedly joking he wouldn’t qualify because he has been known to shave his legs, a habit he picked up from triathlons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2022
It celebrates women’s achievements, which is great, but, in a really troubling way, it disavows the very sentiments that have propelled feminism for decades: anger, disappointment, rage, critique.
From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2022
The name furnishes no very precise clue to the conclusion it designates, and it has no reference to the federative form of State, for which Marlo expressly disavows having any partiality.
From Contemporary Socialism by Rae, John
The administration has disavowed any intention to interfere with the World Cup or the Olympics.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 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
Mr. Haas has disavowed anything experimental about this music.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025
He disavowed nothing: he seemed as if he would defy all things.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
She resists the idea of entirely disavowing the life she led with her ex-husband.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
Instead of disavowing them, she answered that she wouldn’t post such remarks today because she has “matured.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
After recently disavowing himself from his leading lady, Audiard used the opportunity to re-embrace Gascón, a moment that was uncomfortably awkward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2025
“The State cannot be allowed to take a Janus-faced position — wholeheartedly proffering David’s allegations of abuse on the State’s criminal proceedings, while disavowing or discrediting those same allegations in David’s civil action,” they wrote.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
“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.
