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
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 )
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.
In 2020, Lewis relinquished his longtime role as the House’s election policy point man after pleading guilty to charges related to using campaign funds for personal expenses, including rent.
From Salon
Congress passed, and the Supreme Court unanimously upheld, a law requiring the app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to divest and relinquish operational control of the U.S. business or be banned.
Elections followed, but the voluntary relinquishing of power had emboldened the military to make a takeover by force in 1962.
From Barron's
Head's match-winning century was one of the great Ashes moments and gave Australia momentum they have not relinquished.
From BBC
But it recognizes a stark reality: If Maduro relinquishes power, the oil pumped by Chevron—and one day, perhaps others—would play a big role in the country’s economic recovery, they say.
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.
