resign

1 of 2

verb (1)

re·​sign ri-ˈzīn 

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

ri-ˈzī-nəd-nəs 

noun

resigner

ri-ˈzī-nər 

noun

re-sign

2 of 2

verb (2)

(ˌ)rē-ˈsīn 

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

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• abdicate
• relinquish
• renounce

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

Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 has hired an administrator experienced in curriculum to be its new assistant superintendent for student learning to replace Laurie Fiorenza who resigned, effective June 30, without explanation in April. —Bob Skolnik, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025

His third Cabinet resigned in January 2021 following a parliamentary report that found that as many as 10,000 families were forced to repay thousands of euros after they had been wrongly accused of welfare fraud. —Adam Rasmi, Time, 20 June 2025

Verb

Miami holds Mitchell’s Bird rights, which allow the Heat to exceed the salary cap to re-sign him up to his maximum salary despite already being over the cap. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 June 2025

James Harden, 36, is expected to decline his player option and re-sign a two- or three-year deal, meaning the Clippers could again have one of the league’s oldest starting lineups. —Janis Carr, Oc Register, 24 June 2025

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

Phrases Containing resign

• resign oneself

Rhymes for resign

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine

Kids Definition

resign

verb

re·​sign ri-ˈzīn 

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