renunciation

noun

re·​nun·​ci·​a·​tion ri-ˌnən(t)-sē-ˈā-shən 

: the act or practice of renouncing : repudiation

specifically : ascetic self-denial

renunciative

ri-ˈnən(t)-sē-ˌā-tiv 

adjective

renunciatory

ri-ˈnən(t)-sē-ə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

Synonyms of renunciation

• refusal
• renouncement
• denial
• abnegation

Examples of renunciation in a Sentence

the king's renunciation of the throne

Their vows include renunciation of all wealth.

Recent Examples on the Web

Annual renunciations surged to a record high of 6,705 in 2020, with numbers remaining elevated ever since, according to immigration services company Boundless. —Medora Lee, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026

Oddly, the move comes not as a renunciation but as a new adventure. —Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026

The tax applies to transfers of worldwide property, no matter when the expatriate acquired it, before or after renunciation. —Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026

This renunciation of her editorial work doesn’t appear in A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls, though Morgan leans heavily on Anderson’s writings to scaffold the book. —Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English renunciacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin renuntiation-, renuntiatio, from renuntiare to renounce

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing renunciation

• self-renunciation

Rhymes for renunciation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

renunciation

noun

re·​nun·​ci·​a·​tion ri-ˌnən(t)-sē-ˈā-shən 

: the act or practice of renouncing

Legal Definition

renunciation

noun

re·​nun·​ci·​a·​tion ri-ˌnən-sē-ˈā-shən 

: the act or practice of renouncing

specifically : the act of refusing to continue to acknowledge, recognize, or be bound by a contract or obligation : repudiation