as in surrender
the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another
miraculously, the relinquishment of the hostages was accomplished without bloodshed
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Recent Examples of relinquishment
Benjamin qualified for the national bee by winning the San Diego County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee in March, correctly spelling kenosis, the relinquishment of divine attributes by Jesus Christ in becoming human, in the 23rd round.
—
City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Gavi’s relinquishment of her Florida license is pending final approval from the state nursing board.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
Amend its bylaws to trigger automatic relinquishment of privileges for any physician who violates Texas’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Mexican Cession, relinquishment of more than half of Mexico’s territory to the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
The Denver District Attorney's Office said prosecutors asked for a $100,000 cash-only bond, but the judge set a $75,000 cash/property/surety bond, with maximum home confinement, GPS monitoring, and firearms relinquishment.
—Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
In response, Moreno signed a voluntary relinquishment of Spa Bar’s massage establishment license in July.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
But in 2022, when people returned to their offices or got new jobs and work schedules changed, the San Clemente shelter relinquishments jumped 87%, with 131 animals dropped off.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 25 Nov. 2025
The relinquishment of such a title within the British royal family is incredibly rare.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Gavi’s relinquishment of her Florida license is pending final approval from the state nursing board.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
Amend its bylaws to trigger automatic relinquishment of privileges for any physician who violates Texas’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Mexican Cession, relinquishment of more than half of Mexico’s territory to the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
The Denver District Attorney's Office said prosecutors asked for a $100,000 cash-only bond, but the judge set a $75,000 cash/property/surety bond, with maximum home confinement, GPS monitoring, and firearms relinquishment.
—Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
In response, Moreno signed a voluntary relinquishment of Spa Bar’s massage establishment license in July.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
But in 2022, when people returned to their offices or got new jobs and work schedules changed, the San Clemente shelter relinquishments jumped 87%, with 131 animals dropped off.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 25 Nov. 2025
The relinquishment of such a title within the British royal family is incredibly rare.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquishment
Noun
-
Often at odds with orthodoxy, this branch of Islam looks at the relationship between the divine and the self through the lens of surrender, to the point where one’s own identity dissolves.—
Arman Khan,
Pitchfork,
1 June 2026
-
Around two weeks later, Pattilingam would be present at Papa Rao’s surrender in front of the cameras.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
The second edition will take place in Austin from Sept 17-21, with submissions now open.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
-
Earlier this year, NIST formally acknowledged that the National Vulnerability Database can no longer keep pace with new submissions.—
Yonesy Nunez,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relinquishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquishment. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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