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
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
That abnegation of critical judgment is the most important feature of the 1994 statement.
—Michael Bérubé, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2022
Where to go in a world where every slight, every frown, every chagrin, every cloud and every rainy day is a cause for outrage, denunciation, shame, self-abnegation and maybe even a congressional investigation or two?
—WSJ, 14 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for 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
That abnegation of critical judgment is the most important feature of the 1994 statement.
—Michael Bérubé, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2022
Where to go in a world where every slight, every frown, every chagrin, every cloud and every rainy day is a cause for outrage, denunciation, shame, self-abnegation and maybe even a congressional investigation or two?
—WSJ, 14 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for abnegation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abnegation
Noun
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But Committee Chair James Comer criticized O'Conner over his refusal to answer questions saying there had been a conspiracy to cover up Biden's cognitive decline.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
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Also on Wednesday, the Trump administration sued the state over its refusal to ban transgender girls from competing in girls’ athletic programs.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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This is largely due to the renunciation of complete sovereignty and the sharing of resources that the EU has encouraged for almost 60 years now.—
Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
Foreign Affairs,
13 June 2016
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Dual citizenship policies vary among countries, with some countries mandating renunciation of existing citizenship.—
Jean Francois Harvey,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the newest chapter in the struggle to preserve Oak Flat, currently a campground about 60 miles east of Phoenix, grassroots group Apache Stronghold asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its past denial and agree to hear what many religious leaders call a pivotal religious rights case.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
13 July 2025
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That denial was corroborated by Secret Service documents, the report found.—
July 13,
CBS News,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abnegation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abnegation. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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