# resignation

/ˌɹɛzəɡˈneɪʃən/ (US) · /ɹɪzɪɡnˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/resignation
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. leaving a job

noun · CEFR B2

the act of officially telling your employer that you are leaving your job.

For teachers: the formal act of giving up or quitting a position, office, or employment.

- The manager handed in his resignation after finding a better job in another city.
- Following the scandal, the board of directors demanded the immediate resignation of the chief executive to restore public confidence in the firm.

Usage: Often used with the verbs 'hand in', 'tender', or 'submit'.

### 2. a formal letter

noun · CEFR B2

a formal letter or document that says you are leaving your job.

For teachers: a written or oral notification stating that one is resigning from a post.

- She spent the afternoon writing her letter of resignation.
- The official's resignation was brief and professional, offering no specific reasons for his sudden departure from the ministry.

### 3. accepting the inevitable

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the feeling that you must accept something difficult or sad because you cannot change it.

For teachers: a state of quiet, uncomplaining endurance or submission to an unpleasant but unavoidable situation.

- He sighed with resignation when he saw the long line at the airport.
- There was a sense of weary resignation in her voice as she acknowledged that the project would never receive the necessary funding.

Teaching tip: This sense describes a psychological state; it is often paired with verbs like 'sigh' or 'shrug'.

### 4. legal land return

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

an old legal way of returning land to a superior person in the past.

For teachers: the formal act by which a vassal returns a land holding into the hands of a superior.

- The ancient document recorded the resignation of the lands to the crown.
- The historian examined the records of resignation to understand how land ownership shifted during the feudal period.

## Examples

- She handed in her resignation this morning.
- The board of directors accepted the CEO's resignation following the disappointing quarterly results.
- There was a heavy sense of resignation in his voice as he admitted that the legal battle had finally exhausted his remaining financial resources.

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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.