renunciation
Americannoun
noun
-
the act or an instance of renouncing
-
a formal declaration renouncing something
-
stock exchange the surrender to another of the rights to buy new shares in a rights issue
Other Word Forms
- nonrenunciation noun
- renunciative adjective
- renunciatory adjective
- unrenunciative adjective
- unrenunciatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of renunciation
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin renūnciātiōn- (stem of renūnciātiō ) proclamation, equivalent to renūnciāt ( us ) (past participle of renūntiāre to renounce ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If you reject something or disown it, you can call this renunciation. Sorry, your renunciation of your membership in the American Association of Retired People will not make you any younger. Use the noun renunciation especially when you mean you have given up your religious or political beliefs or some cause you previously supported. When you drop a political party to become an independent, you mean it to be a renunciation of all the infighting, backstabbing, and finger pointing that have become "politics as usual."
Vocabulary lists containing renunciation
100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
All Quiet on the Western Front
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Humanity could recover its moral bearings and pursue the abolition of nuclear weapons and the renunciation of war, or accept the inevitability that such man-made forces would ultimately abolish most or all of us.
From Salon • Aug. 14, 2025
A patchwork of statutes and treaties already offered about two-thirds of Native Americans citizenship, sometimes in exchange for land allotments that fractured reservations, gestures of assimilation, military service and even the renunciation of tribal traditions.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2024
Her devotion to him required renunciation: She let go of her composing ambitions and gave over the majority of her schedule to performing his scores.
From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2024
Often described as Islamic mysticism, Sufism - which her husband says he has been interested in for more than three decades - emphasises the inner search for God and the renunciation of worldly matters.
From BBC • Jan. 31, 2024
She added the last as though it explained her renunciation of Paris.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
