Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense renounces, present participle renouncing, past tense, past participle renounced
1. verb
If you renounce a belief or a way of behaving, you decide and declare publicly that you no longer have that belief or will no longer behave in that way.
You must renounce your old ways of thinking. [VERB noun]
A substantial minority, unable to renounce Marxism, left to form a new party calledCommunist Refoundation. [VERB noun]
2. verb
If you renounce a claim, rank, or title, you officially give it up.
He renounced his claim to the French throne. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: disclaim, deny, decline, give up More Synonyms of renounce
More Synonyms of renounce
renounce in British English
(rɪˈnaʊns)
verb
1. (transitive)
to give up (a claim or right), esp by formal announcement
to renounce a title
2. (transitive)
to repudiate
to renounce Christianity
3. (transitive)
to give up (some habit, pursuit, etc) voluntarily
to renounce smoking
4. (intransitive) cards
to fail to follow suit because one has no cards of the suit led
noun
5. rare
a failure to follow suit in a card game
Derived forms
renouncement (reˈnouncement)
noun
renouncer (reˈnouncer)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French renoncer, from Latin renuntiāre to disclaim, from re- + nuntiāre to announce, from nuntius messenger
renounce in American English
(rɪˈnaʊns)
verb transitiveWord forms: reˈnounced or reˈnouncing
1.
to give up (a claim, right, belief, etc.), usually by a formal public statement
2.
to give up (a pursuit, practice, way of living or feeling, etc.)
3.
to cast off or disown; refuse further association with; repudiate
to renounce a son
verb intransitive
4. Law
to give up a right, trust, etc.
Derived forms
renouncement (reˈnouncement)
noun
renouncer (reˈnouncer)
noun
Word origin
ME renouncen < OFr renoncer < L renuntiare < re-, back + nuntiare, to tell < nuntius, messenger: see nuncio
Examples of 'renounce' in a sentence
renounce
In exchange they would have had to renounce all other claims.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He claims to have renounced drugs for good.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Armenia has already renounced any territorial claims to its former homeland.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
No one is quite sure who suggested it should include a clause renouncing war.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
How likely is it that people will voluntarily renounce them because of a disputed threat to the planet?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This policy must be utterly renounced.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
At the time, it looked like they were renouncing the real world.
John Harris THE LAST PARTY: Britpop, Blair and the demise of English rock (2003)
Either renounce your political beliefs or get us a couple of wins against Newcastle.
The Sun (2013)
If not, then you must renounce it.
Mansfield, Patricia Why Am I Afraid to be Assertive? (1994)
Last month it announced that it had renounced its rights to the area, which included the national park.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He renounced violence on his release in 2011 but was barely free long enough to organise an effective political organisation before the elections last year.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You'd think he'd have renounced all violence after that.
The Sun (2013)
Repeat after me: 'I must renounce hipsters.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They had renounced the world, and "we consider ourselves to be dead men in respect of it '.
Jonathan Wright Ambassadors: From Ancient Greece to the Nation State (2006)
A brother renounced the world and gave his goods to the poor, but he kept back a little for his personal expenses.
Christianity Today (2000)
Ethel could scarcely feel that it would not be a mockery to declare, on her behalf, that she renounced the world.
Charlotte M. Yonge The Daisy Chain (1837)
In other languages
renounce
British English: renounce VERB
If you renounce a belief or a way of behaving, you decide and declare publicly that you no longer have that belief or will no longer behave in that way.
After a period of imprisonment she renounced her life of crime.
American English: renounce
Brazilian Portuguese: renunciar a
Chinese: 宣布放弃 >信仰、行为方式
European Spanish: renunciar a
French: renoncer à
German: aufgeben
Italian: rinnegare
Japanese: 捨てる
Korean: 포기를 공표하다
European Portuguese: renunciar a
Latin American Spanish: renunciar a
1 (verb)
Definition
to give up (a belief or habit) voluntarily
She renounced her old ways.
Synonyms
disown
Those comments were later disowned.
reject
Paloma has rejected the values of her rich parents.
abandon
They were persuaded to abandon their lawsuit.
quit
He figured he would quit his job before he was fired.
discard
Read the instructions before discarding the box.
spurn
eschew
He eschewed publicity and avoided nightclubs.
leave off
throw off
forsake
I still love you and would never forsake you.
retract
He hurriedly sought to retract the statement.
repudiate
He repudiated any form of nationalism.
cast off
abstain from
You would be well advised to abstain from coffee and tea.
recant
a man who refused after torture to recant his heresy
forswear
He forswore the use of trade sanctions.
abjure
He abjured the Protestant faith in 1594.
swear off
wash your hands of
2 (verb)
Definition
to give up formally (a claim or right)
He renounced his claim to the throne.
Synonyms
disclaim
the legislation which enabled him to disclaim his title
deny
I denied my legal guardians because I wanted to be independent.
decline
He declined their invitation.
give up
resign
He has resigned his seat in parliament.
relinquish
He does not intend to relinquish power.
waive
He pled guilty to the charges and waived his right to appeal.
renege
forgo
The men would not forgo the chance of a feast.
abdicate
Citizens of the world should not abdicate responsibility for the environment.
abjure
abnegate
The government could not abnegate responsibility for the defects.
Opposites
claim
,
maintain
,
assert
,
reassert
,
avow
Seeabnegate
Synonyms of 'renounce'
renounce
Explore 'renounce' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abnegate
The government could not abnegate responsibility for the defects.
Synonyms
give up,
refuse,
deny,
kick (informal),
decline,
reject,
abandon,
yield,
concede,
sacrifice,
surrender,
relinquish,
renounce,
refrain from,
eschew,
disallow,
forsake,
forgo,
abdicate,
abstain from,
forbear,
abjure
in the sense of abstain from
You would be well advised to abstain from coffee and tea.
Synonyms
refrain from,
avoid,
decline,
give up,
stop,
refuse,
cease,
do without,
shun,
renounce,
eschew,
leave off,
keep from,
forgo,
withhold from,
forbear,
desist from,
deny yourself,
kick (informal)
in the sense of decline
Definition
to politely refuse to accept or do (something)
He declined their invitation.
Synonyms
refuse,
reject,
turn down,
avoid,
deny,
spurn,
abstain,
forgo,
send your regrets,
say `no'
in the sense of deny
Definition
to refuse to acknowledge
I denied my legal guardians because I wanted to be independent.
Synonyms
renounce,
reject,
discard,
revoke,
retract,
repudiate,
renege,
disown,
rebut,
disavow,
recant,
disclaim,
abjure,
abnegate,
refuse to acknowledge or recognize
in the sense of discard
Definition
to get rid of (something or someone) as useless or undesirable
Read the instructions before discarding the box.
Synonyms
get rid of,
drop,
remove,
throw away or out,
reject,
abandon,
dump (informal),
shed,
scrap,
axe (informal),
ditch (slang),
junk (informal),
chuck (informal),
dispose of,
relinquish,
dispense with,
jettison,
repudiate,
cast aside
in the sense of eschew
Definition
to avoid doing or being involved in (something disliked or harmful)
He eschewed publicity and avoided nightclubs.
Synonyms
avoid,
give up,
abandon,
have nothing to do with,
shun,
elude,
renounce,
refrain from,
forgo,
abstain from,
fight shy of,
forswear,
abjure,
kick (informal),
swear off,
give a wide berth to,
keep or steer clear of
in the sense of forgo
Definition
to give up or do without
The men would not forgo the chance of a feast.
Synonyms
give up,
sacrifice,
surrender,
do without,
kick (informal),
abandon,
resign,
yield,
relinquish,
renounce,
waive,
say goodbye to,
cede,
abjure,
leave alone or out
in the sense of forsake
Definition
to withdraw support or friendship from
I still love you and would never forsake you.
Synonyms
desert,
leave,
abandon,
quit,
strand,
jettison,
repudiate,
cast off,
disown,
jilt,
throw over,
leave in the lurch
in the sense of forswear
Definition
to reject or renounce with determination
He forswore the use of trade sanctions.
Synonyms
reject,
deny,
retract,
repudiate,
disown,
disavow,
recant,
disclaim
in the sense of quit
Definition
to resign (from)
He figured he would quit his job before he was fired.
Synonyms
resign (from),
leave,
retire (from),
pull out (of),
surrender,
chuck (informal),
step down (from) (informal),
relinquish,
renounce,
pack in (informal),
abdicate
Additional synonyms
in the sense of recant
Definition
to take back (a former belief or statement) publicly
a man who refused after torture to recant his heresy
Synonyms
withdraw,
take back,
retract,
disclaim,
deny,
recall,
renounce,
revoke,
repudiate,
renege,
disown,
disavow,
forswear,
abjure,
unsay,
apostatize
in the sense of reject
Definition
to refuse to accept, use, or believe
Paloma has rejected the values of her rich parents.
Synonyms
deny,
decline,
abandon,
exclude,
veto,
discard,
relinquish,
renounce,
spurn,
eschew,
leave off,
throw off,
disallow,
forsake,
retract,
repudiate,
cast off,
disown,
forgo,
disclaim,
forswear,
swear off,
wash your hands of
in the sense of relinquish
Definition
to renounce (a claim or right)
He does not intend to relinquish power.
Synonyms
give up,
leave,
release,
drop,
abandon,
resign,
desert,
quit,
yield,
hand over,
surrender,
withdraw from,
let go,
retire from,
renounce,
waive,
vacate,
say goodbye to,
forsake,
cede,
repudiate,
cast off,
forgo,
abdicate,
kiss (something) goodbye,
lay aside
in the sense of repudiate
Definition
to disown (a person)
He repudiated any form of nationalism.
Synonyms
reject,
renounce,
retract,
disown,
abandon,
desert,
reverse,
cut off,
discard,
revoke,
forsake,
cast off,
rescind,
disavow,
turn your back on,
abjure,
wash your hands of
in the sense of resign
Definition
to give up (a right or claim)
He has resigned his seat in parliament.
Synonyms
give up,
abandon,
yield,
hand over,
surrender,
turn over,
relinquish,
renounce,
forsake,
cede,
forgo
in the sense of retract
Definition
to withdraw (a statement, charge, etc.) as invalid or unjustified
He hurriedly sought to retract the statement.
Synonyms
withdraw,
take back,
revoke,
disown,
deny,
recall,
reverse,
cancel,
repeal,
renounce,
go back on,
repudiate,
rescind,
renege on,
back out of,
disavow,
recant,
disclaim,
abjure,
eat your words,
unsay
in the sense of waive
Definition
to refrain from enforcing or claiming (a rule or right)
He pled guilty to the charges and waived his right to appeal.