relinquish

[ ri-ling-kwish ]

/ rɪˈlɪŋ kwɪʃ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relinquish ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to renounce or surrender (a possession, right, etc.): to relinquish the throne.

to give up; put aside or desist from: to relinquish a plan.

to let go; release: to relinquish one's hold.

Nearby words

religious, religious house, religious order, religious right, religiously, relinquish, reliquary, relique, reliquiae, relish, relive

Origin of relinquish

1425–75; late Middle English relinquissen, relinquisshen < Middle French relinquiss-, long stem of relinquir ≪ Latin relinquere to leave behind, equivalent to re- re- + linquere to leave (akin to lend)

SYNONYMS FOR relinquish

2 yield, cede, waive, forego, abdicate, leave, quit, forswear, desert, resign. See abandon¹.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relinquish ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

re·lin·quish·er, nounre·lin·quish·ment, nounnon·re·lin·quish·ment, nounun·re·lin·quished, adjective

un·re·lin·quish·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for relinquish

To be a hero, you must accept your fate and relinquish control to it.
The Walking Dead’s Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero|Regina Lizik|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She has yet to relinquish her anonymity and is unavailable for any comment.
Alleged U.Va. Abductor Accused of Rape at Christian College|Michael Daly|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He would not relinquish presidential power and live to regret it, like his cousin.
From The Square Deal to The New Deal: The Overlapping Political Identities of TR and FDR|John Avlon|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Should I relinquish my passport and book permanent passage on an infantilizing escorted “adventure” to the Mall of America next?
I Can’t Shake Hawaii: An Ode to Returning to Places You’ve Been Before|Debra A. Klein|October 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown called for Akin to relinquish his Senate nomination.
Who Is Mrs. “Legitimate Rape”? Meet Todd Akin’s Wife, Lulli|Allison Yarrow|August 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Floyd is still holding Cecil in his arms, now asleep, but he will not relinquish his precious burden.
Floyd Grandon's Honor|Amanda Minnie Douglas
Without, therefore, a moment's hesitation, she determined to relinquish her present enterprise.
The Wanderer (Volume 3 of 5)|Fanny Burney
She did not relinquish the hand he held out to her, but clasped it firmly in hers.
London's Heart|B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon
An apparent reconciliation took place; and the admiral was compelled to change, but not to relinquish, his schemes of ambition.
Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth|Lucy Aikin
It was then about noon, and having an engagement in Court, I was compelled to relinquish my vigil.
Spies of the Kaiser|William Le Queux

British Dictionary definitions for relinquish

relinquish

/ (rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ) /

verb (tr)

to give up (a task, struggle, etc); abandon

to surrender or renounce (a claim, right, etc)

to release; let go

Derived Formsrelinquisher, nounrelinquishment, noun

Word Origin for relinquish

C15: from French relinquir, from Latin relinquere to leave behind, from re- + linquere to leave

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

relinquish

verb (used with object)

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of relinquish

Examples from the Web for relinquish

British Dictionary definitions for relinquish

relinquish

verb (tr)

Word Origin for relinquish