abdicate

American  

[ab-di-keyt] / ˈæb dɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used without object)

abdicated, abdicating

1. to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, especially in a formal manner.

   The aging founder of the firm decided to abdicate.

   Synonyms:

   quit, resign

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verb (used with object)

abdicated, abdicating

1. to give up or renounce (authority, duties, an office, etc.), especially in a voluntary, public, or formal manner.

   King Edward VIII of England abdicated the throne in 1936.

   Synonyms:

   repudiate, abandon

abdicate British  

/ ˈæbdɪˌkeɪt, ˈæbdɪkəbəl, æbˈdɪkətɪv /

verb

1. to renounce (a throne, power, responsibility, rights, etc), esp formally

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Other Word Forms

• abdicable adjective
• abdication noun
• abdicative adjective
• abdicator noun
• nonabdicative adjective
• unabdicated adjective
• unabdicating adjective
• unabdicative adjective

Etymology

Origin of abdicate

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin abdicāt(us) “renounced,” past participle of abdicāre “to renounce,” from ab- ab- + dicāre “to indicate, consecrate”

Explanation

Sometimes someone in power might decide to give up that power and step down from his or her position. When they do that, they abdicate their authority, giving up all duties and perks of the job. The original meaning of the verb abdicate came from the combination of the Latin ab- "away" and dicare "proclaim." (Note that in the charming relationships between languages with common roots, the Spanish word for "he says" is dice, which comes directly from dicare.) The word came to refer to disowning one's children, and it wasn't until the 17th century that the first use of the word relating to giving up power or public office was recorded.

Example Sentences

In 2006, when a popular uprising forced the king to abdicate, Thapa was already a prominent figure in the pro-democracy movement and had been jailed several times for his role in street protests.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Yet sometimes miracles happen, and Senates don’t entirely abdicate their constitutional advice and consent roles.

From Slate • Oct. 4, 2025

"I abdicate my throne in favour of my son on the understanding that no further inquiry into my alleged connection with the Malabar Hill Tragedy will be made," he wrote to the British government.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

Four days into the strike, the tsar was forced to abdicate, and the provisional government granted women the right to vote.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2024

She looked repulsive, with her red nose, as people do when they abdicate their dignity.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• forgo
• relinquish
• renounce
• step down
• vacate