# renunciation

/ɹɪˌnənsiˈeɪʃən/ (US) · /ɹɪnˌʌnsɪˈeɪʃən/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/renunciation
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

a formal decision to give up something important, like a right, a title, or a belief. You use it when someone leaves it behind on purpose and in public.

For teachers: formal rejection or abandonment of a right, claim, belief, or position, often declared publicly or in writing.

## Examples

- She announces her renunciation of the title today.
- After years of debate, he files a formal renunciation of his citizenship to settle abroad permanently.
- Her quiet renunciation of worldly ambition, made without bitterness or public statement, lent her later writings a clarity that fame had never allowed.

## Synonyms

abdication, repudiation

## Usage notes

- Typically followed by 'of' to name what is given up, as in 'renunciation of citizenship'.

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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.