renounce

[ri-nouns]

verb (used with object)

renounced, renouncing 

1. to give up or put aside voluntarily.

   to renounce worldly pleasures.

   Synonyms: quit, leave, forswear, forgo, forsake
   Antonyms: claim

2. to give up by formal declaration.

   to renounce a claim.

   Synonyms: abdicate, resign

3. to repudiate; disown.

   to renounce one's son.

   Synonyms: deny, disavow, reject, disclaim
   Antonyms: accept

verb (used without object)

renounced, renouncing 

1. Cards.

   1. to play a card of a different suit from that led.

   2. to abandon or give up a suit led.

   3. to fail to follow the suit led.

noun

1. Cards.,  an act or instance of renouncing.

renounce

/ rɪˈnaʊns /

verb

1. (tr) to give up (a claim or right), esp by formal announcement

   to renounce a title

2. (tr) to repudiate

   to renounce Christianity

3. (tr) to give up (some habit, pursuit, etc) voluntarily

   to renounce smoking

4. (intr) cards to fail to follow suit because one has no cards of the suit led

noun

1. rare,  a failure to follow suit in a card game

Other Word Forms

• renounceable adjective
• renunciable adjective
• renouncement noun
• renouncer noun
• nonrenouncing adjective
• self-renounced adjective
• self-renouncement noun
• self-renouncing adjective
• unrenounceable adjective
• unrenounced adjective
• unrenouncing adjective
• unrenunciable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of renounce¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English renouncen, from Middle French renoncer, from Latin renūntiāre “to bring back word, disclaim,” equivalent to re- re- + nūntiāre “to announce,” derivative of nūntius “messenger, news”

Word History and Origins

Origin of renounce¹

C14: from Old French renoncer , from Latin renuntiāre to disclaim, from _re- + nuntiāre to announce, from nuntius messenger

Synonym Study

See abandon.

Example Sentences

She was trapped in a country not her own and hounded by police who were suspicious of her loyalty because she refused to renounce her American citizenship.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Russian troops are making slow advances on the front and Putin has demanded Kyiv ceded more territory and renounce Western military support if it wants Moscow to halt its invasion.

Read more on Barron's

And what would Tolstoy – who, though born a noble, later in life renounced his privileged upbringing and wealth – think of the bogan version?

Read more on BBC

China claims the democratic island as part of its territory and has said it will not renounce using force to bring it under its control.

Read more on Barron's

If he had, they argued, he would have immediately renounced his prejudices.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deny 
• disavow 
• discard 
• disown 
• eschew 
• forgo 
• forsake 
• forswear 
• give up 
• quit 
• recant 
• relinquish 
• repudiate 
• spurn 
• waive