# disown

/dɪˈsoʊn/ (US) · /dɪsˈəʊn/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/disown
Updated: 2026-05-30

## Definition

to officially say that you are no longer related to someone, or to stop supporting a person or idea. In computing, it means to stop being the parent of a process so it can run on its own.

For teachers: to formally renounce a relationship or responsibility; to cease being the parent of a process in a computing context. Transitive — requires a direct object.

## Examples

- The family decided to disown him after he stole the money.
- In Unix systems, a process can disown its child to allow it to continue running after the parent program has exited.
- The company chose to disown the controversial marketing campaign, issuing a public apology to distance the brand from the backlash it had generated among its core demographic.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.