Definition

1. Noun:
   • Renunciation of one's own interests in favor of the interests of others: The act of deliberately sacrificing or denying one's own needs, desires, or interests for the benefit of others or for a higher principle.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Her life was a model of self-abnegation and devotion to the poor.
  • The monk's practice required complete self-abnegation.
  • True leadership sometimes involves a degree of self-abnegation for the team's success.

Advanced Usage

• "a life of self-abnegation": describes a lifestyle characterized by consistent self-denial.
  • The ascetic chose a life of self-abnegation in the remote monastery.
• "spirit of self-abnegation": refers to the attitude or principle of self-sacrifice.
  • The volunteers worked with a spirit of self-abnegation.

Variants and Related Words

• Abnegation (n): The act of renouncing or rejecting something. Often used interchangeably with "self-abnegation," though "abnegation" can be broader.
  • His abnegation of worldly pleasures was absolute.
• Self-denial (n): A close synonym, emphasizing the refusal to indulge one's own desires.
  • Fasting is an act of self-denial.

Synonyms

• Self-sacrifice: Giving up one's own interests for a cause or others.
• Self-renunciation: Formal renunciation of one's own rights or claims.
• Altruism: The belief in or practice of selfless concern for others.

Related Phrases

• Practice self-abnegation: To actively engage in self-denial.
  • He learned to practice self-abnegation as part of his spiritual discipline.

Related Idioms

• To deny oneself: This phrase captures the core action of self-abnegation.
  • For the sake of his family, he learned to deny himself many comforts.

Noun

1. renunciation of your own interests in favor of the interests of others