resign

re·sign

verb \ri-ˈzīn\

Definition of RESIGN

transitive verb

1

: relegate, consign; especially : to give (oneself) over without resistance <resigned herself to her fate>

2

: to give up deliberately; especially : to renounce (as a right or position) by a formal act

intransitive verb

1

: to give up one's office or position : quit

2

: to accept something as inevitable : submit

— re·sign·ed·ly \-ˈzī-nəd-lē\ adverb

— re·sign·ed·ness \-ˈzī-nəd-nəs\ noun

— re·sign·er \-ˈzī-nər\ noun

Examples of RESIGN

1. The senator was forced to resign his position.
2. The newspaper's editor resigned after the scandal.
3. He resigned from his job as principal of the school.

Origin of RESIGN

Middle English, from Anglo-French resigner, from Latin resignare, literally, to unseal, cancel, from re- + signare to sign, seal — more at sign

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to RESIGN

Synonyms

abnegate, cede, relinquish, renounce, abdicate, step aside (from), step down (from), surrender

Related Words

abjure, demit, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, waive; forsake, give up, hand over, yield; abandon, desert, quit, vacate

Near Antonyms

appropriate, arrogate, assume, claim, confiscate; seize, take over, usurp, wrest; defend, guard, protect, safeguard, secure

See Synonym Discussion at relinquish, abdicate

Rhymes with RESIGN

A-line, affine, airline, align, alkyne, alpine, assign, at sign, balkline, baseline, beeline, benign, bloodline, blue line, blush wine, bovine, bowline, branchline, breadline, bright-line, buntline, bustline, byline, call sign, canine, caprine, carbine, carmine, cervine, chow line, clothesline, cloud nine, coastline, combine, compline, condign, confine, consign, corvine, cosign, cutline, dateline, deadline, decline, define, design, divine, dragline, driveline, earthshine, Einstein, eiswein, end line, enshrine, entwine, equine, ethyne, fall line, fault line, feline, ferine, first-line, flatline, flight line, foul line, fräulein, frontline, front line, goal line, gold mine, grapevine, guideline, hairline, hard-line, hard pine, headline, hemline, high sign, hipline, Holbein, hotline, ice wine, incline, indign, in fine, in-line, Irvine, jawline, jug wine, landline, land mine, lang syne, lifeline, load line, longline, lupine, mainline, main line, malign, midline, moline, moonshine, neckline, off-line, old-line, online, opine, outline, outshine, ovine, Pauline, peace sign, Petrine, pipeline, piscine, pitch pine, plotline, plumb line, plus sign, pontine, porcine, potline, pound sign, propine, punch line, rapine, recline, redline, red pine, refine, reline, repine, Rhine wine, ridgeline, roofline, Sabine, saline, Scotch pine, scrub pine, setline, shoreline, short line, sideline, sight line, skyline, snow line, soft-line, spring line, straight-line, strandline, straw wine, streamline, strip mine, strychnine, subline, sunshine, supine, syncline, taurine, tie-line, times sign, topline, touchline, towline, tramline, trapline, tree line, trephine, trotline, truckline, trunk line, tumpline, turbine, untwine, ursine, vespine, V sign, vulpine, waistline, white line, white pine, white wine, woodbine, yard line, zebrine, Z line