relinquish
- 01 C1 Advanced
to give up a position of power, a right, or a responsibility.
to surrender or yield control, authority, or a legal right, often formally.
Simple“The king was forced to relinquish his throne after the revolution.”
In context“The outgoing CEO agreed to relinquish his seat on the board to ensure a smooth transition for the new leadership team.”
UsageThis verb is transitive and requires a direct object, typically an abstract noun like power, control, or rights.
- 02 C1 Advanced
to physically let go of something you are holding.
to physically release one's grip or possession of a tangible object.
Simple“She slowly relinquished her grip on the steering wheel as the car stopped.”
In context“The child reluctantly relinquished the toy only after his mother promised they would return to the shop the following day.”
UsageOften used with 'grip' or 'hold' followed by the preposition 'on'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
to stop holding onto a hope, a plan, or a belief.
to abandon or cease to maintain a particular habit, belief, or emotional state.
Simple“He found it difficult to relinquish the hope that his cat would return.”
In context“The researchers had to relinquish their original hypothesis when the data consistently pointed toward a different conclusion.”
“To relinquish that control now would be, I think, hard for me.” Knowing when and how to ask for help is one of the lessons that Jamie must learn in the film.”
“I ended up begging on the Trocadéro.” He didn’t relinquish his literary dreams so much as let them wilt.”
From Middle English relinquisshen, from the inflected stem relinquiss- of Middle French relinquir, from Latin relinquere, itself from re- + linquere (“to leave”). Compare also Sanskrit रिणक्ति (riṇakti, “to leave”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.