renounce
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
(tr) to give up (a claim or right), esp by formal announcement
to renounce a title
-
(tr) to repudiate
to renounce Christianity
-
(tr) to give up (some habit, pursuit, etc) voluntarily
to renounce smoking
-
(intr) cards to fail to follow suit because one has no cards of the suit led
noun
Related Words
See abandon.
Other Word Forms
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.
In a call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, Wadephul stressed that Germany supported a negotiated solution but that "Iran must completely and verifiably renounce nuclear weapons and immediately open the Strait of Hormuz".
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
It will refuse to renounce the right to enrich uranium, as it did before, having proven it can survive.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026
The militants wanted residents to renounce the Nigerian government and its constitution and instead follow their teachings, effectively attempting to impose a parallel system of rule and government in the area.
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026
Later, O’Neill would renounce the play as a repository of “all the Broadway tricks” he had amassed in his “stage training.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025
My eyes grew wide to hear him renounce all desire for the throne unjustly seized by Claudius.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
