resignation
Americannoun
-
resignations
plural
-
the act of resigning.
- Synonyms:
- abdication
-
a formal statement, document, etc., stating that one gives up an office, position, etc.
- Synonyms:
- abdication
-
an accepting, unresisting attitude, state, etc.; submission; acquiescence.
to meet one's fate with resignation.
- Synonyms:
- forbearance, compliance, patience
- Antonyms:
- recalcitrance
noun
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the act of resigning
-
a formal document stating one's intention to resign
-
a submissive unresisting attitude; passive acquiescence
Usage
What does resignation mean? Resignation is the act of resigning—quitting one’s job or giving up one’s position. In this context, it can also refer to the formal statement or document that announces a person’s intention to resign. This sense of the word is often used with the verb tender, meaning to formally offer or present, as in I’ve tendered my resignation, effective immediately. It can also be used as a modifier, as in resignation letter. Resignation can also mean an accepting, unresisting attitude or state of submission, as in There is a sense of resignation in the room now that most of the votes are in and there doesn’t appear to be any path to victory. Example: Several senior officials have tendered their resignations, but it’s unclear whether they will be accepted.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of resignation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin resignātiōn-, stem of resignātiō “cancellation, rescinding,” from Latin resignāt(us) “canceled” (past participle of resignāre “to open, release, cancel”; see resign) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Resignation can mean either stepping down from a job or accepting an unpleasant but inevitable situation. You could even feel resignation as you announce your resignation. Once you've announced or handed in your formal resignation to a job, organization, or political office, you're finished. You've formally quit or stepped down. If you've left the position due to budget cuts, you'll probably leave with a feeling of resignation — acknowledging that there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.
Vocabulary lists containing resignation
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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A Raisin in the Sun
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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:
Healey had flown under the radar since his explosive resignation as Sir Keir Starmer's defence secretary in June this year.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
A police station and government buildings in Tirana have been attacked during the protests, which are being driven by demands for better university conditions, anger over corruption and calls for Rama's resignation.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
When Coolidge took office after Harding’s death in 1923, Mellon went to see the new chief executive with a resignation letter in his pocket.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Bass, for instance, oversaw the reappointment of McDonnell’s predecessor, Michel Moore, shortly after her election and stood by him for a year before Moore’s abrupt resignation in early 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Slowly, she returned to the cell’s stone floor again, letting that familiar cold seep back into her bones and, with it, resignation.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Yesterday, we asked how White House resignations should be handled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The disclosure prompted arrests of some officials in Europe, corporate resignations and congressional hearings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
They spoke as debate over AI's risks has intensified following a string of resignations by employees at major AI labs citing safety concerns.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
"I don't think one resignation cuts it," he said, adding that "resignations need to proceed".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Many women tendered their resignations during their pregnancies and reapplied to the laboratory when they were ready to work again, hoping they would find a way to wrangle back their old jobs.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
