relinquish

American

[ri-ling-kwish] / rɪˈlɪŋ kwɪʃ /

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.

Synonyms:

resign, desert, forswear, quit, leave, abdicate, forego, waive, cede, yield
to let go; release.

to relinquish one's hold.

relinquish British

/ rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ /

verb

to give up (a task, struggle, etc); abandon
to surrender or renounce (a claim, right, etc)
to release; let go

"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

Related Words

See abandon.

Other Word Forms

nonrelinquishment noun
relinquisher noun
relinquishment noun
unrelinquished adjective
unrelinquishing adjective

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

He said he was actually complying with the act by refusing to relinquish presidential records.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

A CLC spokesperson said: "Elected members have today agreed to write to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to formally relinquish the Freedom."

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

In a post-coup period of emergency rule, Min Aung Hlaing served as both commander-in-chief of the armed forces and acting president, but to become permanent president he is constitutionally compelled to relinquish his military post.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

I’m willing to negotiate a trade right now: Give us decent bedside charging, and I will gratefully relinquish every last hotel alarm clock on the planet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

But she was not about to relinquish the spot.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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