resign
Americanverb (used without object)
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to give up an office or position, often formally (often followed byfrom ).
to resign from the presidency.
- Synonyms:
- withdraw
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to submit; yield.
to resign before the inevitable.
verb (used with object)
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to give up (an office, position, etc.), often formally.
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to relinquish (a right, claim, agreement, etc.).
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to give or sign over, as to the control or care of another.
She resigned her child to an adoption agency.
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to submit (oneself, one's mind, etc.) without resistance.
verb
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to give up tenure of (a job, office, etc)
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(tr) to reconcile (oneself) to; yield
to resign oneself to death
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(tr) to give up (a right, claim, etc); relinquish
he resigned his claim to the throne
Usage
What does resign mean? Resign most commonly means to give up one’s job or position. When used this way, resign can be used without an object, as in He resigned yesterday, or with one, as in She is expected to resign her position. In its general sense, resign means to yield or submit, as in When he knew he couldn’t possibly win the match, he decided to resign. Example: They say he resigned on his own, but I think he was forced out.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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resignsimple
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resignssimple
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have resignedperfect
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has resignedperfect
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am resigningprogressive
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are resigningprogressive
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is resigningprogressive
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have been resigningperfect progressive
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has been resigningperfect progressive
Past
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resignedsimple
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had resignedperfect
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was resigningprogressive
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were resigningprogressive
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had been resigningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of resign
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English resignen, from Middle French resigner, from Latin resignāre “to open, release, cancel,” literally, “to seal back,” from re- re- + signāre “to mark, seal” ( see sign)
Explanation
To resign is to quit or retire from a position. You can also resign yourself to something inevitable, like death — meaning you just accept that it's going to happen. When people resign, they're leaving something, like a job or political office. Congressmen resign after a scandal. Coaches resign after a really terrible season. Regular folks simply resign when they're ready to go. In those cases, resign is a nicer way of saying quit. Being resigned is another sense of this word — it's a type of acceptance. If your team is losing 80-20, you might as well resign yourself to losing. That just means you aren't in denial.
Vocabulary lists containing resign
The Silent Treatment: Words Plagued by Silent Letters
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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"Easter, 1916" by W.B. Yeats
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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:
Weber alleged that after she raised concerns about gender pay disparities, she was pressured to resign her vice provost job and was fired when she refused to do so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Others in Merz's party have been forthright in their condemnation, calling on Spahn to resign as head of the CDU's parliamentary group.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“Kathy Ruemmler made the decision on her own to resign from her roles” because she felt that the media attention was causing a distraction for the bank, said Goldman Sachs spokesman Tony Fratto.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
The third commissioner, Republican Christy McCormick, was allowed to resign, according to three sources within the agency.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Doing otherwise would have been like failing to resign after losing a major piece in a chess tournament—a social irritant, a waste of time and resources.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
The protesters said they would stay in the streets until Rama resigns.
From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026
If the sitting governor dies, resigns or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor would assume the role.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
By the time someone resigns, the real conversation is already six months overdue.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
But when he suddenly dies and the family’s estate, Longbourn, passes to another male relative, Mary resigns herself to a life sentence beside a mother who can barely stand her.
From Salon ● May 20, 2026
Flavius badly wants to use his own trademark purple lipstick on me but resigns himself to a pink as they begin to color my face and nails.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday after mass youth-led protests demanded his ouster in anger over a string of irregularities in potentially life-changing exams.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following mass youth-led protests over college entrance exam irregularities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
When a string of Russian strikes on military training grounds last year killed 12 Ukrainian soldiers, the general who commanded them did something unusual: He took responsibility and resigned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
There’s no wonder or dread in this future — just the resigned acceptance that nothing is remarkable, despite all the nifty gadgets everyone has.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Dad tossed the note back on the table and seemed resigned.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
He led England to Euro 2000 before resigning in October following a World Cup qualifying defeat by Germany at Wembley.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Kolby Lee, who started as Bass’ director of communications in February, said he was resigning to spend time with family and loved ones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Solomon has said he was disappointed she was resigning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
"My concern that the safety of women and girls even appears to have been compromised is too much for my conscience to bear, and this is why I am resigning."
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
By the time his wounds were healed, he had announced to the Council that he was resigning.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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.
