resign

American  

[ri-zahyn] / rɪˈzaɪn /

verb (used without object)

resigns, present (3rd person singular) resigned, past participle, past resigning present participle

1. to give up an office or position, often formally (often followed byfrom ).

   to resign from the presidency.

   Synonyms:

   withdraw

2. to submit; yield.

   to resign before the inevitable.

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verb (used with object)

resigns, present (3rd person singular) resigned, past participle, past resigning present participle

1. to give up (an office, position, etc.), often formally.

   Synonyms:

   leave, quit, renounce, abdicate

2. to relinquish (a right, claim, agreement, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   cede, surrender, give up, forgo

3. to give or sign over, as to the control or care of another.

   She resigned her child to an adoption agency.

4. to submit (oneself, one's mind, etc.) without resistance.

resign British  

/ rɪˈzaɪn /

verb

1. to give up tenure of (a job, office, etc)

2. (tr) to reconcile (oneself) to; yield

   to resign oneself to death

3. (tr) to give up (a right, claim, etc); relinquish

   he resigned his claim to the throne

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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

• resigner
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have resigned
  perfect
• has resigned
  perfect 3rd person singular
• am resigning
  progressive 1st person singular
• is resigning
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been resigning
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• resigning
  participle
• resigns
  singular 3rd person
• have been resigning
  perfect progressive
• are resigning
  progressive

Past

• had resigned
  perfect
• had been resigning
  perfect progressive
• were resigning
  progressive plural
• was resigning
  progressive singular
• resigned
  simple
• resigned
  participle

Future

• will resign
  simple
• will have resigned
  perfect
• will be resigning
  progressive
• will have been resigning
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

None of the council members directly addressed the question of why they did not pressure Wang to resign as it became clear she was ensnared in her former fiance’s criminal case.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Groupon separately said its chief operating officer, Jiri Ponrt, notified the company of his decision to resign, effective July 10.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

In another recording shared by OVP, a woman wearing dark glasses and a face mask addresses Rodríguez directly and demands that the minister of prisons and Injuba's director resign.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

Demands for the business-friendly conservative to resign have persisted despite his promise to respond to the grievances of labor unions and Indigenous communities.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

The Blood Shrike can resign, but only if the Emperor agrees to release him from service.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir