renounce
- 01 C1 Advanced
to officially say that you no longer want or have a right to something, like a title or a position.
to formally surrender or resign a right, title, or claim. Transitive — requires a direct object.
Simple“The prince chose to renounce his right to the throne to marry for love.”
In context“Under the terms of the settlement, the former CEO was required to renounce all future claims to the company's intellectual property.”
UsageOften used in legal or political contexts regarding titles, citizenship, or inheritance.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
to state publicly that you no longer believe in something or will no longer do something.
to repudiate or disavow a previously held belief, allegiance, or habit, often by open declaration.
Simple“He decided to renounce violence and work for peace instead.”
In context“The activist refused to renounce her political convictions, even when faced with the threat of imprisonment.”
UsageCommonly takes abstract nouns like 'violence', 'beliefs', or 'faith' as objects.
- 03 C1 Advanced
to say that you no longer want to be connected with someone or something.
to decline further association with a person, group, or cause; to disown.
Simple“The church decided to renounce the extremist group for their hateful actions.”
In context“After the scandal broke, several sponsors moved quickly to renounce their ties to the disgraced athlete.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
to play a card of a different suit because you do not have any of the suit that was led.
to fail to follow suit in a card game, specifically when the player lacks cards of the suit led.
Simple“She had to renounce because she didn't have any hearts left in her hand.”
In context“A player who renounces when they actually hold a card of the suit led is said to have committed a revoke.”
UsageUsed almost exclusively in the context of trick-taking games like Bridge or Whist.
Antonyms
“Only there can an apostate renounce one’s religion or urge others to do the same.”
From Old French renoncier (French renoncer), from Latin renūntiō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.