disown

verb

dis·​own (ˌ)dis-ˈōn 

disowned; disowning; disowns

transitive verb

1

: to refuse to acknowledge as one's own

2

a

: to repudiate any connection or identification with

b

: to deny the validity or authority of

disownment

(ˌ)dis-ˈōn-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of disown

• deny
• reject
• refute

Examples of disown in a Sentence

Her parents threatened to disown her if she didn't go back to school.

He was disowned for bringing shame to the family.

Recent Examples on the Web

Offensive chants have not always been drowned out or disowned in the UK, Europe and beyond. — Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 July 2026

Some Sox fans claimed to disown the team back then, and now are jumping back on the bandwagon. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026

He was also forced to disown his family. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 1 June 2026

The same fiber that the broader industry is scrambling to disown is also winding deeper, tighter—and, indeed, faster—into the Chinese economy. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for disown

• alone
• atone
• backbone
• bemoan
• bluestone
• breastbone
• brownstone
• capstone
• cheekbone
• condone
• curbstone
• cyclone

Kids Definition

disown

verb

dis·​own (ˈ)dis-ˈōn 

: to refuse to accept any longer as one's own : renounce, disclaim