renounce
/ri'nauns/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To formally declare one's abandonment of a claim, right, or possession: To give something up voluntarily, especially by a formal statement.
- To reject or disown something or someone completely: To refuse to follow, obey, or recognize any longer; to cast off.
- To resign from a position or title: To give up a high office, duty, or obligation, often formally.
Usage
- Renounce is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object (e.g., renounce a title, renounce violence).
- It is often used in formal, legal, or solemn contexts to indicate a definitive and public abandonment.
- Common collocations include: renounce citizenship, renounce a claim, renounce the throne, renounce one's beliefs.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- "To renounce the world": To withdraw from secular life and its concerns, often for a religious or spiritual life.
- After the tragedy, he chose to renounce the world and live as a hermit.
- In card games (e.g., Bridge): To fail to follow suit when one is able to; to revoke. (This is a specific, technical usage.)
- He lost the trick because he renounced when he still had a card of the required suit.
Variants and Related Words
- Renunciation (noun): The formal act of renouncing.
- His renunciation of violence was a key step in the peace process.
- Renouncer (noun): A person who renounces.
Synonyms
- Abdicate: To renounce a throne.
- Relinquish: To voluntarily cease to keep or claim.
- Forswear: To agree to give up or do without.
- Repudiate: To refuse to accept or be associated with.
- Resign: To give up an office or position.
Antonyms
- Claim: To assert one's right to.
- Assert: To state a fact or belief confidently.
- Embrace: To accept or support willingly and enthusiastically.
- Retain: To continue to have; keep possession of.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- To renounce one's citizenship: To formally give up one's status as a citizen of a country.
- She had to renounce her citizenship before becoming a citizen of the new country.
- To renounce the devil: In religious contexts, to formally reject evil or Satan.
- As part of the baptismal vows, they were asked to renounce the devil and all his works.
Verb
- cast off
- She renounced her husband
- The parents repudiated their son
- turn away from; give up
- I am foreswearing women forever
- leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarily
- She vacated the position when she got pregnant
- The chairman resigned when he was found to have misappropriated funds
- give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations
- The King abdicated when he married a divorcee