disavow
Americanverb (used with object)
-
disavows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disavowed,
past participle, past
-
disavowing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disavowsimple
-
disavowssimple
-
have disavowedperfect
-
has disavowedperfect
-
am disavowingprogressive
-
are disavowingprogressive
-
is disavowingprogressive
-
have been disavowingperfect progressive
-
has been disavowingperfect progressive
Past
-
disavowedsimple
-
had disavowedperfect
-
was disavowingprogressive
-
were disavowingprogressive
-
had been disavowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disavow
1350–1400; Middle English disavouen, desavouen < Anglo-French, Old French desavouer. See dis- 1, avow
Explanation
To disavow is to deny support for someone or something. You might feel dissed if your biggest donor decides to suddenly disavow you in your run for president. Disavow comes from a combination of the Old French prefix des- meaning "opposite of" and the word avoer meaning to "acknowledge, accept, recognize." When you disavow, you are doing the opposite of acknowledging or accepting. You're rejecting or denying. When you disavow something you've done in the past, you reject or deny what you've done.
Vocabulary lists containing disavow
Change Your Mind
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It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 4–October 10, 2025
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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:
Despite the heat, El-Sayed refused to disavow Piker.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
On Tuesday, shortly after Khamenei was named to succeed his father, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned him to disavow continued nuclear work in an exchange with reporters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026
Even as his clout has grown, though, Rogan has sought to disavow his authority.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 17, 2026
The studios gamely went along, ruining the lives of a number of their creative talent who refused to disavow their pasts.
From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2026
“Go ahead and disavow whatever notion is telling you that fake-ass smile is gonna work on me.”
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
The Peltola campaign said she isn’t concerned with who else is on the ballot and disavows any involvement in Dan J.’s campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Lyrically, Charli disavows cigarettes and writes sincere apologies for her past mistakes.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Church Militant now disavows claims in the article, which depicted him harshly.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
Radan disavows any support for slavery or for any moral argument defending it, arguing for a sharp distinction between those questions and the legal, constitutional argument he advances.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2023
Mr. Dabney disavows us unless we are successful.
From Operation: Outer Space by Murray Leinster
Davis has since disavowed some of his comments, but a judge ruled them admissible in court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Auden disavowed his poem “Spain 1937” as immature and “dishonest.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
He later defended his comments and said that he had been using hyperbole to make a point, adding that he disavowed racists and that media reports had ignored the context of his comments.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026
In both cases the comments were immediately disavowed by the White House.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2025
I was so hurt and humiliated that I disavowed all relations with Young.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
The book does this as well, though often, Huberman will include a qualifier, disavowing responsibility after sharing evidence that’s scantier than you might like.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
One imagines irritated Michigan Wolverines burning checkbooks and disavowing money-market accounts as they drink their spritzes at Ann Arbor tailgates—but inside Columbus, this is like getting to sponsor religion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
She resists the idea of entirely disavowing the life she led with her ex-husband.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
After recently disavowing himself from his leading lady, Audiard used the opportunity to re-embrace Gascón, a moment that was uncomfortably awkward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2025
“Oh, no,” we said, disavowing her entirely, as any sensible person would.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
