resign

1 of 2

verb (1)

re·​sign ri-ˈzīn How to pronounce resign (audio)
resigned; resigning; resigns

transitive verb

1
: relegate, consign
especially : to give (oneself) over without resistance
resigned herself to her fate
2
: to give up deliberately
especially : to renounce (something, such as a right or position) by a formal act

intransitive verb

1
: to give up one's office or position : quit
2
: to accept something as inevitable : submit
resignedness noun
resigner noun

re-sign

2 of 2

verb (2)

re-signed; re-signing; re-signs

transitive verb

: to sign again
especially : to rehire (someone, such as an athlete) by means of a signed contract

intransitive verb

: to sign up again
Choose the Right Synonym for resign

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

abdicate, renounce, resign mean to give up a position with no possibility of resuming it.

abdicate implies a giving up of sovereign power or sometimes an evading of responsibility such as that of a parent.

abdicated the throne

renounce may replace it but often implies additionally a sacrifice for a greater end.

renounced her inheritance by marrying a commoner

resign applies to the giving up of an unexpired office or trust.

resigned from the board

Examples of resign in a Sentence

Verb (1) The senator was forced to resign his position. The newspaper's editor resigned after the scandal. He resigned from his job as principal of the school.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Over the next five days, Mr. Altman and his allies pressed the board to bring him back and for the board to resign. Kevin Roose, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023 Unlike most other families of hostages, Guy Metzger and his brother are camping out in a protest tent in Jerusalem calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take responsibility for the Hamas attack and resign. Anat Peled, WSJ, 22 Nov. 2023 Two directors resigned, leaving only D’Angelo on the board, joined by former Salesforce CEO Bret Taylor as its new chair, and former secretary treasurer and guy-who-got-in-hot-water-by-insulting-women Lawrence Summers. Steven Levy, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023 The part-time hair stylist had resigned herself to the reality that she had been blessed with a family that included her daughter Chanel, now 10, Ness’ youngest sons Isaiah, 12, and Zayden, 9, and his daughter Tyra, 25, who lives outside of the home. Susan Young, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023 Wall Street Journal - Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said his company would match the compensation of any OpenAI researcher who resigned following the surprise firing of ex-CEO Sam Altman. Trey Williams, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2023 The district’s board of trustees has been searching since last summer for a new chancellor to replace Carlos Cortez, who resigned in May after two years in the job to take care of his parents, according to the district. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023 In 2014, the ailing Sahara One asked several senior executives to resign. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Nov. 2023 Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston said in a statement that Strickland was asked to resign on Nov. 9 but refused. Reuters, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2023
Verb
That would leave the Pacers with only about $10 million of cap room, and that’s before re-signing any of Toppin, Buddy Hield, or Jordan Nwora. Tony East, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Urías was unlikely to re-sign with the Dodgers before his arrest. Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023 The Yankees finished with their worst record since 1992, despite re-signing 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge and having the likely American League Cy Young winner in Gerrit Cole, but outside of Judge, who missed time with a couple injuries, just about everything went wrong for them. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 26 Oct. 2023 The Rangers picked him up, cut him themselves two years later, then re-signed him to a minor league contract. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023 The Lakers showed their faith in Russell by re-signing him over the summer to a two-year, $37-million contract, and Russell showed his commitment by agreeing to the deal that gave him a player-option after the first season. Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023 In May 2023, Jackson re-signed with the Baltimore Ravens, agreeing to a five-year, $260 million contract. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 30 Sep. 2023 Carrick, who played in 100 games for the Ducks from 2020-22, re-signed with the organization this summer. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2023 Russell, himself a free agent this summer, re-signed with the Lakers on a two-year deal worth $36 million that contains a player option in the final season. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'resign.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French resigner, from Latin resignare, literally, to unseal, cancel, from re- + signare to sign, seal — more at sign

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1805, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of resign was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near resign

Cite this Entry

“Resign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resign. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

resign

verb
re·​sign ri-ˈzīn How to pronounce resign (audio)
1
: to give up by a formal or official act
resign an office
2
: to give up an office or position : quit
3
: to yield to without resistance
resign oneself to disappointment

More from Merriam-Webster on resign

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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