Word
abnegation
Phoneticsab·ne·ga·tion
US/ˌæbnɛˈɡeɪʃən/
UK/ˌæbnɪɡˈeɪʃən/
Definition
n. the act of giving up something you want or need, especially to help others or for a good cause.
n. the act of renouncing or giving up something, typically a personal desire or a right, for the sake of others or a higher purpose.
Examples
“The monk's life of abnegation was dedicated to helping the poor.”
“Her decision to leave a high-paying job for a life of abnegation surprised many of her friends.”
“The philosopher argued that true moral integrity requires a degree of abnegation, where one must sacrifice personal comfort to uphold a universal ethical standard.”
Examples
simple
“The monk's life of abnegation was dedicated to helping the poor.”
contextual
“Her decision to leave a high-paying job for a life of abnegation surprised many of her friends.”
complex
“The philosopher argued that true moral integrity requires a degree of abnegation, where one must sacrifice personal comfort to uphold a universal ethical standard.”
Etymology
First attested before 1398. From Middle English abnegacioun, borrowed from Late Latin abnegātiō, from abnegō (“refuse, deny”), from ab (“off”) + negō (“deny; refuse, say no”). Compare French abnégation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/abnegation