repudiate

[ri-pyoo-dee-eyt]

verb (used with object)

repudiated, repudiating 

1. to reject as having no authority or binding force.

   to repudiate a claim.

   Synonyms: disclaim, discard, disavow
   Antonyms: accept

2. to cast off or disown.

   to repudiate a son.

3. to reject with disapproval or condemnation.

   to repudiate a new doctrine.

   Synonyms: disapprove, condemn, disown, renounce
   Antonyms: approve

4. to reject with denial.

   to repudiate a charge as untrue.

5. to refuse to acknowledge and pay (a debt), as a state, municipality, etc.

repudiate

/ rɪˈpjuːdɪˌeɪt /

verb

1. to reject the authority or validity of; refuse to accept or ratify

   Congress repudiated the treaty that the President had negotiated

2. to refuse to acknowledge or pay (a debt)

3. to cast off or disown (a son, lover, etc)

Other Word Forms

• repudiable adjective
• repudiative adjective
• repudiator noun
• nonrepudiable adjective
• nonrepudiative adjective
• unrepudiable adjective
• unrepudiated adjective
• unrepudiative adjective
• repudiation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of repudiate¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin repudiātus (past participle of repudiāre “to reject, refuse”), equivalent to repudi(um) “a casting off, divorce” ( re- + pud(ere) “to make ashamed, feel shame” + -ium noun suffix ) + -ātus past participle sufffix; re-, pudendum, -ium, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of repudiate¹

C16: from Latin repudiāre to put away, from repudium a separation, divorce, from _re- + pudēre to be ashamed

Example Sentences

The Heritage Foundation, which has financial ties to Mr. Carlson, has refused to repudiate this relationship, and its president’s video defense of this stance made matters worse.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But many are too centrist to repudiate them, and the other half are too radical for their alternatives to be palatable.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“We don’t want war in the Caribbean nor South America,” he said, adding: “How many more coups by the CIA? Latin America doesn’t want them, doesn’t need them and repudiates them.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Some of those decisions aligned with some unitary executive claims, but others directly repudiated them.

Read more on Salon

He also said that his remark that immigration risked turning the UK into an "island of strangers" was a mistake and repudiates much else of the political strategy of his first year in office.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• abandon 
• break with 
• disavow 
• dismiss 
• disown 
• forsake 
• recant 
• renounce 
• repeal 
• rescind 
• retract 
• reverse 
• revoke 
• spurn