disown

verb

dis·​own (ˌ)dis-ˈōn How to pronounce disown (audio)
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 noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During the clash, the university functionally disowned its students. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025 For example, Min avoids coming out to his grandmother and grandfather for fear of being disowned. Abigail Lee, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025 Some of them refused to disown their Communist ideology, in part because doing so would have jeopardized their families in the North. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025 The role of vandalism may be different in each situation, but it should not be disowned outright. Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disown

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of disown was in 1630

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disown. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

disown

verb
dis·​own (ˈ)dis-ˈōn How to pronounce disown (audio)
: to refuse to accept any longer as one's own : renounce, disclaim

More from Merriam-Webster on disown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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