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

When Lear disowns her, the King of France accepts Cordelia as his wife and takes her back to his homeland. — Langdon Hammer, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

In Michigan, Mike Rogers has disowned the president’s tariffs, calling for an end to Trump’s trade war against Canada. — Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2026

Her solution is to disown Brooke, should the memoir ever see the light of day. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026

Kwong Kau came to disown Choi and allegedly tried to assault her on one occasion, Draycott said. — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 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