resignation

American  

[rez-ig-ney-shuhn] / ˌrɛz ɪgˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

• resignations
  plural

1. the act of resigning.

   Synonyms:

   abdication

2. a formal statement, document, etc., stating that one gives up an office, position, etc.

   Synonyms:

   abdication

3. an accepting, unresisting attitude, state, etc.; submission; acquiescence.

   to meet one's fate with resignation.

   Synonyms:

   forbearance, compliance, patience

   Antonyms:

   recalcitrance

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resignation British  

/ ˌrɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of resigning

2. a formal document stating one's intention to resign

3. a submissive unresisting attitude; passive acquiescence

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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

• nonresignation
  noun
• proresignation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• resignations
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

resignation resignations

It follows a tumultuous period which has included the Ashes defeat by Australia, off-field issues, the resignation of Ben Stokes as captain and the sacking of coach Brendon McCullum.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Demonstrations over worsening living conditions escalated into a revolt, marked by roadblocks that cut off major cities and calls for the president's resignation.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

NewsCord, a media analysis site, found that 229 articles about Arday were published in the United Kingdom in 22 days, with 188 appearing in the nine days between his resignation and his death.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

Marija is also, despite insisting otherwise to Vytas, seeing someone—a female colleague, who cheers on her resignation but doesn’t go so far as to follow her out the door.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Fingers burning, I stripped the hot skin off potatoes in silence, swallowing hurt and resentment with the same outward resignation that Gladys manifested.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

With a weighty portfolio of cases, Pirro has been working to stabilize her Washington office, which has been depleted by resignations and dismissals since Trump returned to the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Sources said the proposed plan calls for increasing academy class sizes before and after the Olympics and Paralympics in order to offset resignations and retirements.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

But in another sense it was the culmination of a slow, torturous process of resignations, abandonments and ever-worsening news, capped by the return to Parliament of former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, Starmer’s principal intra-party rival.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

Four years ago, amid soaring postpandemic inflation, WM decided to let 5,000 to 7,000 jobs companywide go unfilled after resignations and retirements.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

At Hanawon, the resettlement center in South Korea, job counselors say that workplace paranoia, stormy resignations, and lingering feelings of betrayal are chronic problems as North Koreans adjust to new lives.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Related Words

• departure
• retirement
• surrender
• termination
• withdrawal