resign

American  

[ri-zahyn] / rɪˈzaɪn /

verb (used without object)

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)

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

• resigner
  noun

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

A demonstration of miners on Thursday demanded that Paz resign, arguing that he has not addressed their demands, which include the provision of fuel and work equipment.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

She said she had also asked Spruds to resign because of the situation in the Latvian defence sector as a whole.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

The role comes with a £136,112 salary, with the successful candidate required to resign their party membership to take up the neutral post.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

On Tuesday evening, Sardina submitted a public comment during the school board meeting, asking that Wiersma and Komrosky resign.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

He resumed his job as warden, only to resign three months later.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover