disavow

verb

dis·​avow ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇ How to pronounce disavow (audio)
disavowed; disavowing; disavows

transitive verb

1
: to deny responsibility for : repudiate
disavowed the actions of his subordinates
2
: to refuse to acknowledge or accept : disclaim
party leaders disavowed him
… have publicly disavowed any claim on the Graceland estate.Dan Chu
disavowable adjective
disavowal noun

Did you know?

When is a vow not a vow? When it has been disavowed, for one. Let’s say you make a solemn pledge to eat green vegetables every day of the week and twice on Sundays. If a few months down the cruciferous road you decide such a diet is for the rabbits, you might disavow (that is, repudiate or deny responsibility for) your earlier vow. Or perhaps you stick to it, going so far as to eat nothing but brassicas 24/7. Well, in that case, your local chapter of the Carnivore’s Club might illustrate another meaning of disavow by disavowing you (refusing to acknowledge or accept you) as a member any longer. Now when is a vow not avow? You might be surprised to learn that vow and avow/disavow are not related. Though all three words came to English from Latin via Anglo-French, they have distinct roots: vow comes from the Latin verb vovēre, meaning “to vow,” while avow and disavow trace back to the verb advocare, meaning “to summon.” We stand by it: there’s no denying that disavow has history.

Examples of disavow in a Sentence

He disavowed the actions of his subordinates. She now seems to be trying to disavow her earlier statements.
Recent Examples on the Web But after a backlash, AB InBev’s CEO disavowed the campaign. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 7 Mar. 2024 In a sign of European concerns over waning American interest, French President Emanuel Macron suggested this week that some European countries might dispatch troops to Ukraine, a notion that leaders of several NATO countries disavowed, and that Putin said could lead to nuclear war. Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 The current Israeli government had all but disavowed a two-state outcome and included right-wing members who openly aspired to full annexation of Gaza and the West Bank. Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 When Simon Clarke, a former minister, did so recently, he was quickly disavowed by his Tory colleagues, one of whom advised him to find a dark room, lie down and sort himself out. Stephen Castle, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Hours after multiple outlets reported the biopic was in the works and would star actor and comedian Pauly Shore, Simmons took to his Facebook account to disavow the film. Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024 But opposition critics are calling her silence now a sign of her unwillingness to completely disavow the legacy of the Italian far right. Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2024 The Nevada Republican Party opted to hold a presidential caucus Thursday to award delegates and has essentially disavowed the primary. CBS News, 7 Feb. 2024 Futurism discovered the suspect product reviews, which SI promptly deleted and disavowed any role in, insisting that a third-party contractor called AdVon was to blame. David Meyer, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disavow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English desavowen, from Anglo-French desavouer, from des- dis- + avouer to avow

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of disavow was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near disavow

Cite this Entry

“Disavow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disavow. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disavow

verb
dis·​avow ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇ How to pronounce disavow (audio)
: to deny having, knowing, or being responsible for
will disavow any knowledge of your activities
disavowal noun

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