relinquish
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to give up (a task, struggle, etc); abandon
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to surrender or renounce (a claim, right, etc)
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to release; let go
Synonym Usage
See abandon.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonrelinquishmentnoun
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relinquishernoun
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relinquishmentnoun
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unrelinquishedadjective
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unrelinquishingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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relinquishsimple
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relinquishessimple
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have relinquishedperfect
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has relinquishedperfect
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am relinquishingprogressive
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are relinquishingprogressive
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is relinquishingprogressive
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have been relinquishingperfect progressive
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has been relinquishingperfect progressive
Past
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relinquishedsimple
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had relinquishedperfect
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was relinquishingprogressive
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were relinquishingprogressive
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had been relinquishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of relinquish
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English relinquissen, relinquisshen, from Middle French relinquiss-, long stem of relinquir ≪ Latin relinquere “to leave behind,” equivalent to re- re- + linquere “to leave” (akin to lend )
Explanation
If you relinquish something, you let it go. You relinquish control of the army when you resign as general. You relinquish your plan to sneak into town when your parents find out what's going on. Relinquish is also commonly used to mean physically letting go of something: The monkey wouldn't relinquish its grasp on the banana. Relinquish descends from Latin relinquere, from the prefix re-, "again" plus linquere, "to leave."
Vocabulary lists containing relinquish
The Declaration of Independence
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The Giver
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But a move to north London would require Vinicius to relinquish the sort of leverage that most players, even of his standing, do not have.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Longtime members said they aren’t going to relinquish their sanctuary without a fight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Donahue "will relinquish command on July 2, 2026," Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said in a statement that did not provide a reason for the general's departure after an unusually short 18-month stint in the job.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Unified approved a teacher-led petition to relinquish the school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Who was to say that he, too, would not go mad, if forced to relinquish his baby—his baby—to the Robes?
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
He also said that the Board of Peace intends to take possession of Hamas’ weapons when it relinquishes them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
If an individual voluntarily relinquishes all future Social Security retirement benefits, why shouldn’t they be allowed to assume that risk themselves?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The revised law offers greater guarantees to private players, relinquishes state control of exploration, and lowers taxes and royalties.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
An Italian job looks the most likely alternative if Luke Donald relinquishes the European Ryder Cup leadership with Francesco and Edoardo Molinari providing a compelling captaincy combo.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2026
She relinquishes my arm and lifts my chin.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
U.S. natural gas futures relinquished intraday gains and settled fractionally lower despite a 32 Bcf weekly inventory build that landed at the low end of market estimates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
A year later, when Root relinquished the captaincy, Stokes was there with what he called "love, respect and support".
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
"I have never relinquished my convictions, my freedom of thought, or my independence."
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
And if Uthmeier prevails, adoptive parents across Florida could find their legal claim to their children suddenly open to challenge, potentially by the very birth parents who relinquished them, or by the state.
From Slate ● May 13, 2026
California took the lead, then relinquished it to Washington, then reclaimed it again.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Sony Group has spent billions of dollars on acquisitions in recent years to beef up its entertainment content while relinquishing control of businesses in other areas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
While Rhaenyra’s story will touch on “the more sinister side of relinquishing doubt,” D’Arcy considers that there is, perhaps, “a more positive side to that too.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Doing so means permanently relinquishing control of those funds.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 17, 2026
But the American showed remarkable calm and control on a masterful front nine, featuring four birdies, to move into a lead he never looked like relinquishing.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026
She hugs the violin to her chest before relinquishing it.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
