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 )

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.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.

From The Wall Street Journal

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