as in refusal
the act or practice of giving up or rejecting something once enjoyed or desired
the couple's sudden abnegation of life in the fast lane for work as missionaries stunned everyone
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abnegation
Is that an abnegation of interviewer responsibility?
—
David Marchese David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2023
The life that Alharthi describes is one of almost saintly self-abnegation.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 24 May 2022
His naïve insolence punctures the vanities of other filmmakers while offering no alternative, and the movie that results is a joyless, confused self-abnegation.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2022
The explicit and quasi-religious abnegation of the right to violent self-defense put the national committee at odds with one of its key allies during the Saturday march: Black Lives Matter.
—Samantha Eyler, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2017
See All Example Sentences for abnegation
David Marchese David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2023
The life that Alharthi describes is one of almost saintly self-abnegation.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 24 May 2022
His naïve insolence punctures the vanities of other filmmakers while offering no alternative, and the movie that results is a joyless, confused self-abnegation.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2022
The explicit and quasi-religious abnegation of the right to violent self-defense put the national committee at odds with one of its key allies during the Saturday march: Black Lives Matter.
—Samantha Eyler, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2017
See All Example Sentences for abnegation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abnegation
Noun
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The biggest financial blow may have come from Blockbuster Video’s refusal to carry the movie on VHS.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
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The agreement gives a limited liability corporation associated with the Broncos the right of first refusal to purchase the former railyard from CDOT and ensures the state cannot sell the land to anybody but the football club.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Carney is a moralist, a filmmaker of fidelity—and of renunciation, depicting the romantic near-misses and what-ifs that his characters leave behind.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
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The numbers from the report are compiled from citizenship renunciation records, overseas residency registrations and survey data tracking American interest in living overseas.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected lawsuits challenging several permits granted by the OPSB, but hasn't yet ruled on multiple cases brought by developers seeking to reverse an OPSB denial.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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Rivals such as China and Russia continue developing advanced anti-access and area-denial systems that threaten traditional airborne surveillance aircraft.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abnegation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abnegation. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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