relinquish
Americanverb
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to give up (a task, struggle, etc); abandon
-
to surrender or renounce (a claim, right, etc)
-
to release; let go
Synonym Usage
See abandon.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of relinquish
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English relinquissen, relinquisshen, from Middle French relinquiss-, long stem of relinquir ≪ Latin relinquere “to leave behind,” equivalent to re- re- + linquere “to leave” (akin to lend )
Explanation
If you relinquish something, you let it go. You relinquish control of the army when you resign as general. You relinquish your plan to sneak into town when your parents find out what's going on. Relinquish is also commonly used to mean physically letting go of something: The monkey wouldn't relinquish its grasp on the banana. Relinquish descends from Latin relinquere, from the prefix re-, "again" plus linquere, "to leave."
Vocabulary lists containing relinquish
The Declaration of Independence
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The Giver
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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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.
And it permits genetic donors to formally relinquish all parental rights over “the resulting children.”
From Slate • May 13, 2026
“It seems inconceivable to me that we would voluntarily relinquish the leadership that has propelled our country, fueled the economy, made us healthier, and made us safer,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
He would relinquish his chairmanship next month to Kevin Warsh, as well as his separate seat as governor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
They are set to relinquish their six-year hold on the WSL trophy and will not compete in the last four of the Champions League.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
Even today the artist remains a magician whose work can mystify and move us—an embarrassing fact to civilized people, who do not readily relinquish their veneer of rational control.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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.
