relinquish
Americanverb (used with object)
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relinquishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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relinquished,
past participle, past
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relinquishing
present participle
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:
You have to relinquish your id and allow the thing to be the thing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2022 and vowed never to relinquish its weapons, of which it is estimated, external to possess dozens.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
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
I could scream now, cling to the banister, relinquish dignity.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
July 21: Israel relinquishes control of some towns in Lebanon to the country’s government after U.S.-brokered talks, though early snags include an alleged shooting by Israeli troops near Lebanese forces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 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
On Thursday, Venezuela's parliament adopted reforms that offer greater guarantees to private players, relinquishes state control of exploration, and lowers taxes.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 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
He holds me while my shoulders shake and the sun relinquishes its last beam, giving way to blackness.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
The pair married in a glitzy wedding in 2018 but two years later relinquished their role as working royals after a feud with the British royals and moved to North America.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
The Buss family’s grip on the NBA’s glamor franchise loosened in 2025 when they relinquished their majority share to Mark Walter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Just over a year earlier, Thorslund relinquished her WBC and WBO titles after becoming pregnant.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
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
Harry fell to his knees, relinquished Dobby’s hand, and attempted to lower Griphook gently to the ground.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Washington, meanwhile, famously made relinquishing power part of his own legacy.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The 32-year-old told AFP he has been reading copiously since relinquishing his weapon, and has particularly enjoyed his copy of "Cinderella."
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
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
The 46-year-old, the son-in-law of the Indian billionaire businessman Lakshmi Mittal, had been a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers for 18 years before relinquishing his stake in the club on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Ron was great,” said Tonks warmly, relinquishing her hold on Lupin.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
