Synonyms

disown

American

[dis-ohn] / dɪsˈoʊn /

verb (used with object)

to refuse to acknowledge as belonging or pertaining to oneself; deny the ownership of or responsibility for; repudiate; renounce.

to disown one's heirs; to disown a published statement.

Synonyms:

abjure, reject, disavow, disclaim

disown British

/ dɪsˈəʊn /

verb

(tr) to deny any connection with; refuse to acknowledge

"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

disowner noun
disownment noun

Etymology

Origin of disown

First recorded in 1610–20; dis- ¹ + own

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.

Every now and then some disgruntled fan will publicly disown his favorite team, then invite rival teams to suggest why he should support them.

From Los Angeles Times

"We disown his actions and we disown what he has done in every single way."

From BBC

Her family tried to persuade her to come back, but when nothing came of it they disowned her, according to SK SOS.

From BBC

In her memoir, Erivo writes at length about her estrangement from her father, who disowned her when she was 16 after an argument in a London train station.

From Salon

She writes: “We hadn’t made our record to garner fame and fortune. We made it for the art rats known and unknown, the marginalized, the shunned, the disowned.”

From Los Angeles Times

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