renounce
Americanverb (used with object)
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renounces,
present (3rd person singular)
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renounced,
past participle, past
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renouncing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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renounces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
renounced,
past participle, past
-
renouncing
present participle
noun
verb
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(tr) to give up (a claim or right), esp by formal announcement
to renounce a title
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(tr) to repudiate
to renounce Christianity
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(tr) to give up (some habit, pursuit, etc) voluntarily
to renounce smoking
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(intr) cards to fail to follow suit because one has no cards of the suit led
noun
Synonym Usage
See abandon.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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renouncementnoun
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renouncernoun
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self-renouncementnoun
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nonrenouncingadjective
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renounceableadjective
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renunciableadjective
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self-renouncedadjective
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self-renouncingadjective
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unrenounceableadjective
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unrenouncedadjective
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unrenouncingadjective
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unrenunciableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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renouncesimple
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renouncessimple
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have renouncedperfect
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has renouncedperfect
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am renouncingprogressive
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are renouncingprogressive
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is renouncingprogressive
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have been renouncingperfect progressive
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has been renouncingperfect progressive
Past
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renouncedsimple
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had renouncedperfect
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was renouncingprogressive
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were renouncingprogressive
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had been renouncingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of renounce
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”
Explanation
To renounce is to officially give up or turn away from. If you decide to become a vegetarian, you will renounce hamburgers and bacon. The transitive verb renounce is a stronger, more formal way of saying that you reject or disown something. A prince who's tired of the royal life could renounce his title and become a commoner, and a senator who wanted to become an independent would have to renounce her ties to her previous political party. You'd be wise to heed the wisdom of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who said: “To renounce liberty is to renounce being a man, to surrender the rights of humanity and even its duties.”
Vocabulary lists containing renounce
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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Ender's Game
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Little Women
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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.
See Examples For:
"Along with our vow to renounce war, I reaffirmed our determination to continue fulfilling our responsibility to uphold Japan's postwar path as a peaceful nation," he added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
The U.S. doesn’t hold a grudge against those who renounce citizenship.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
Draining a few isn’t enough to make them renounce their loyalty to his congregation, known as the Beautiful Unwell.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
The U.S. government has a monthslong backlog of Americans asking to renounce their citizenship, either to secure a foreign passport or to avoid taxation of their earnings abroad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
The greatest jolt came when Dr. Moroka tendered a humiliating plea in mitigation to Judge Rumpff and took the witness stand to renounce the very principles on which the ANC had been founded.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Japan's constitution renounces offensive military force, and successive governments have maintained a decades-old pledge not to possess nuclear weapons, produce them or permit their introduction into the country.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
After World War Two, Japan adopted the constitution, including Article 9, which prohibits the maintenance of armed forces and renounces war as a right of sovereignty.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
A disclaimer is a legal document in which someone renounces an asset that was set to be inherited.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
When Elisabeta is killed, he renounces God and sets off on his quest for his love.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
As long as a man knows that he renounces, the happiness of his renunciation is born of pride.
From Life and Writings of Maurice Maeterlinck by Jethro Bithell
Hilton became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2021 and last year renounced his British citizenship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
There have been eight female emperors on the Chrysanthemum Throne in Japan's imperial family, whose divine status was renounced after World War II.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Retirees can keep their Medicare benefits even after they’ve renounced their citizenship, but they will usually apply for private international coverage or join the healthcare system in their new home country.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
He renounced all painting as “retinal”; that is, art meant to entice the eyes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
In the spring of 1685, Maria put most of her belongings in storage, renounced the world—including her increasingly distant husband—and bumped over rutted roads to the flat, open moors of Friesland in the northern Netherlands.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
For the right person, renouncing citizenship can be a prudent decision.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
St Francis, who died on October 3, 1226, founded the Franciscan order after renouncing his wealth and devoting his life to the poor.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
In 2020, she ran for president, renouncing her anti-LGBTQ views and apologizing for her earlier stance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026
By week’s end he had withdrawn the threats, without formally renouncing the goal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026
But Zell continued to open up until Bull, renouncing his role of confessor, insisted that he had to get to work.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
