relinquish

verb

re·​lin·​quish ri-ˈliŋ-kwish 

-ˈlin-

relinquished; relinquishing; relinquishes

transitive verb

1

: to withdraw or retreat from : leave behind

2

: give up

relinquish a title

3

a

: to stop holding physically : release

slowly relinquished his grip on the bar

b

: to give over possession or control of : yield

few leaders willingly relinquish power

relinquishment

ri-ˈliŋ-kwish-mənt 

-ˈlin-

noun

Synonyms of relinquish

• surrender
• render
• deliver
• cede

Choose the Right Synonym for relinquish

relinquish, yield, resign, surrender, abandon, waive mean to give up completely.

relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

Examples of relinquish in a Sentence

They had turned to an open adoption after pursuing infertility treatments for 18 years, and the birth mother had agreed to relinquish custody at the hospital. —Emily Nussbaum, Discover, January 2000

In April of that year Albert Slyusar, one of the legendary figures of the Afghanistan war, had relinquished command of 103 Guards Airborne Division. —Carey Schofield, The Russian Elite, 1993

The feedback seems to operate on the premise that people who relinquish the civilized art of maintaining creative cities are not to be entrusted with the risks of developing further. —Jane Jacobs, Cities and the Wealth of Nations, (1984) 1985

The Major no sooner heard the voice, than he relinquished Mr Dombey's arm, darted forward, took the hand of the lady in the chair and pressed it to his lips. —Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, 1848

I will not relinquish my rights.

She was forced to relinquish control of the project.

The court ordered him to relinquish custody of his child.

Recent Examples on the Web

Coughlin was in a three-way tie for the lead after the first round and never relinquished that position as others fell off. —ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026

If the pair are Shea’s biological parents, Score and Mills would like to learn more about them — but not necessarily relinquish custody of Shea, Hatfield said. —Elizabeth Chuck, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026

In their eyes, the global economy is to blame for their unsatisfactory job prospects, feminism is to blame for their failures with women, minority rights are forcing them to relinquish their privilege as straight men, and so on. —Miriam Eve Mora, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026

In that previous agreement, Iran had agreed to relinquish 97% of its nuclear stockpile and 70% of its centrifuges -- the machines used to enrich uranium. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English relinquisshen, from Anglo-French relinquiss-, stem of relinquir, from Latin relinquere to leave behind, from re- + linquere to leave — more at loan

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

relinquish

verb

re·​lin·​quish ri-ˈliŋ-kwish 

1

: to withdraw or retreat from : leave behind

relinquished their homes and sailed to the New World

2

: to give over to the control or possession of another

relinquish a title

3

: to let go of : release

relinquish your grip on the bar

few leaders willingly relinquish power

relinquishment

-mənt 

noun